By Caden Slaunwhite
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team fell to the Nipissing Lakers in a 3-1 defeat at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Saturday afternoon.
TMU went toe-to-toe with Nipissing once again, looking for yet another victory following their 5-1 win against the Lakers on Friday night.
In honour of Seniors Night, the Bold held a ceremony prior to the game celebrating the graduating seniors and their time with the team.
Fourth-year forwards Jackson Doherty, Chris Playfair, Will Sirman, Kevin Gursoy and Aleks Dimovski, as well as fifth-year defender Matthew Barnes and fourth-year defender Joe Rupoli were honoured before puck drop.
“They’ve made a huge impact on the program,” said Bold head coach Johnny Duco. “We’re really fortunate to have such a terrific group of veterans, they’ll be missed. But like we said, we’re not done yet.”
Heading into the playoffs, TMU had already clinched the first seed in the Ontario University Athletics West division even before puck-drop, securing a bye in for the first round of the Queen’s Cup. With the loss, though, the Bold will take this game as a “wake-up call.”
“You obviously want to get a win especially on a night like tonight,” said Gursoy. “A little bit of humble pie for us.”
The start of the first period was not an easy one for the Bold. After an early chance in the slot from Playfair, Nipissing brought the pressure early. After failing to clear, the Lakers had a great chance but third-year goaltender Kai Edmonds came up with a huge cross crease stop to keep the game tied.
Despite the loss, Edmonds had a pivotal role in this game, stopping 37 of the 39 shots he faced. Nipissing picked up the rebound and continued their attack, but Edmonds grabbed the puck and stopped the play.
The Bold were getting outshot 8-2 halfway through the frame, but TMU decided to turn the tide. After receiving a pass from first-year defenceman Riley Pitt, Dimovski rushed up the ice and ripped it past Lakers second-year goaltender Reece Proulx. That goal gave the Bold a 1-0 lead and a much needed change in momentum.
“[Dimovski has] been terrific,” said Duco. “Buzzing out there and making plays, fast and feisty. He’s definitely someone we’re going to need to continue to elevate his game down the stretch.”
The goal led the Bold to gain offensive pressure. Although missing the net on multiple occasions, TMU was able to keep the puck in the offensive zone and make the Lakers work to clear the puck out.
But that pressure would not last forever, as a chance off the rush would lead to a chance for Nipissing, but Edmonds came up with another pad stop to keep the Bold up by one.
The Lakers would continue their barrage of shots, and finish the first frame outshooting TMU 13-6.
“We lacked urgency, and didn’t execute at nearly a high enough level,” said Duco. “When you put those things together, you’re probably going to leave disappointed no matter who you’re playing.”
The second period began with end-to-end back-and-forth hockey from both teams, however, they would both come up empty handed. Later in the frame, the Bold had a golden opportunity to go up 2-0 after Proulx misplayed the puck but the shot would be fired wide off the net.
After a Bold turnover, fourth-year Lakers forward Elias Lieffers centered the puck for first-year forward Noah Vom Scheidt to rifle it home for his sixth goal of the season to tie up the game at one apiece.
TMU would receive an opportunity to regain their lead in the final seconds of the second period, but Prouxl stopped the chance in front of the net to keep things tied. TMU countered and was now outshooting the Lakers 25-24.
For Duco, the Bold’s lack of urgency and execution would remain as they took a too many men call to start the third period.
The Lakers would get their chances, but Edmonds would be up to the task, stopping all the chances, ultimately killing off the penalty.
The Bold would get a power play opportunity of their own after Lakers fourth-year defenceman Joshua Anderson took a tripping call and sent TMU to the man advantage. However, Proulx would shut the door and keep the game at a 1-1 stalemate.
“We’ll take care of business in the playoffs”
Second-year forward David Campbell found a way to break the deadlock through fifth-year defenceman Devyn Mayea who banged it to give Nipissing the 2-1 lead.
The Bold pushed for offence in the final minutes of the game, taking Edmonds out of the net. With less than a minute remaining, Lakers third-year forward Kyle Foreman would slide the puck into the empty net, icing the game and ending TMU’s final regular season game with a loss.
“We just gotta learn from the mistakes that we made in our play tonight and tailor our game towards the style that’s been working for us throughout the regular season,” said Gursoy.
Reflecting back on his time as a member of the team, Playfair considered his time at TMU the “best four years of his life.”
“A lot of guys in that room have become brothers to me, I am very fortunate to have had the coaches and teammates that I have had,” said Playfair. “What we have been able to accomplish is something I will remember forever.”
With that game behind them, all eyes are set on the playoffs—the seniors’ final chance at the Queen’s Cup.
“I feel very confident…We’ve been on a really good run, we will learn from tonight and continue to do the things that allow us to win games and what has made us successful over the last few months,” said Playfair.
“We’ll take care of business in the playoffs.”
UP NEXT: The Bold will play the winner of the first round of the Queen’s Cup at the MAC. Date is yet to be determined.
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