By Courtney Powers Luketić

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team won their first game of the season 4-2 against the Western University Mustangs on Oct. 10 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC). 

After dropping their first two games of the season, the Bold were hungry for a win.

“We were just a little bit grittier, a little bit desperate around the net and thought we did a much better job of protecting our net and limiting their high danger chances,” said Bold head coach Johnny Duco. 

Three minutes into the first period, second-year forward Slava Melikov took a four-minute double minor penalty for high-sticking. 

TMU kept Western from recording a shot through three minutes of the penalty kill but a scramble in front of the net would lead to a goal from second-year Mustang center Lawson Sherk. 

TMU would receive two power play opportunities but fourth-year Mustang goaltender Jack McNaughton came up with big saves to preserve Western’s lead. 

Just over a minute into the second period, first-year forward Chase Lefebvre skated into Western’s zone all alone and took a wrist shot to beat McNaughton blocker side and put the Bold back in the game. 

Soon after, some plinko of passes and rebounds in Western’s zone would end with first-year forward Carter MacAdams with the puck. He loaded up and took a clapper, which was tipped in by fourth-year forward Ian Martin to send the Bold up 2-1. 

Late in the second, the Mustangs would take a pair of penalties, sending the Bold to a 40-second five-on-three power play. 

In the Bold’s loss last game against the Waterloo Warriors on Oct. 5, Duco stressed post-game that his team has to score on five-on-threes if they want to win. 

Second-year Bold defenceman Joseph Ianniello heeded his coach’s advice and took a one-timer from the top of the circle to increase TMU’s lead to two. 

“I was proud of the way that the guys were able to execute [the five-on-three] at a higher level today,” said Duco. “Any time Ianniello fires the puck, it puts us in a good spot.”

Under two minutes later, the Mustangs would answer back, with fourth-year defenceman Sam Willits scoring to bring the game within one. 

As the Mustangs were getting set in their own zone, fourth-year forward Will Portokalis stuck his stick out to intercept a pass and skated alone towards the net. He chipped the puck over McNaughton’s shoulder and scored to restore TMU’s two-goal lead.

“I saw [a Mustang] drop [the puck] and the guy had his head down and was gonna make a one-touch pass, so I just jumped the gun on it and it worked out for me,” said Portokalis. 

The Mustangs pulled their goaltender with two minutes remaining but were unable to come back. 

UP NEXT: TMU will face off against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Oct. 17 for their first away game at Varsity Arena. Puck-drop is set for 7:00 p.m.