By Alexandra Beacock
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s hockey team fell short in their third pre-season matchup, losing 2-1 to the Western Mustangs on Friday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
Despite a strong start and several close chances, the Bold couldn’t pull off a comeback, bringing their pre-season record to three losses and one tie.
TMU set the tone early, with third-year defender Ahalya Julien-Medeiros opening the scoring 35 seconds into the game. A well-timed pass from second-year defender Jayden Fox opened an opportunity for Julien-Medeiros, who slipped the puck through the five-hole of Western’s first-year goaltender Presley Daschuk.
There were many close chances on both ends of the rink in the opening minutes. However, the Bold’s early momentum was quickly disrupted by the Mustangs. Second-year forward Leah Barnard found the back of the net with her shot from the slot after a pass from behind the net from first-year forward Mackenzie Lizotte, tying the game 1-1.
Late in the first period, TMU had a chance to regain the lead when fourth-year Mustangs forward Alyssa Wouda was penalized for body-checking. The Bold were unable to capitalize on the power play despite many close chances.
To make matters worse, a turnover in front of TMU’s net as the Bold attempted to exit their zone allowed Western’s fourth-year forward Elizabeth Gauthier to walk in alone and score a short-handed goal at 18:34, giving the Mustangs the lead.
The first period finished with the Mustangs leading 2-1, outshooting the Bold 12-10. From there,
The second period was a defensive battle for both teams. TMU’s defensive corps blocked multiple Western shots while keeping the Mustangs at bay. Meanwhile, the Bold was constantly challenged by Daschuk in the Western net.
TMU faced their first penalty kill at 11:21 when third-year forward Gaby Gareau was called for tripping, but the Bold’s penalty kill unit neutralized the Mustangs’ power play.
Shortly after, TMU was granted their second power play of the game after Western’s fourth-year forward Adeline Kristoff was penalized for hooking. However, the advantage was short-lived. Julien-Medeiros was sent to the box for holding just 16 seconds later, leading to a brief bout of four-on-four play.
The Bold went into the third still trailing 2-1, with the Mustangs outshooting them 21-14.
The third period saw a determined TMU team search for the equalizer. Western had several close scoring opportunities, but the Bold’s second-year goaltender Shannon Harris stood tall with a series of key saves from flying pucks and scrums in front of the net.
Penalties continued to pile up but the Bold remained unable to convert. An offensive push gave the Bold several chances with Mustangs’ fourth-year forward Avry Pedersen in the penalty box for slashing but the score remained 2-1.
As the clock ticked down, TMU’s hopes of a reverse-comeback were further challenged by a penalty for first-year forward Katie Leroux for cross-checking. This was followed shortly by another Mustang penalty for hooking, resulting in another brief round of four-on-four hockey.
Despite these opportunities and flashy offensive moves from second-year forward Eden Dusome, the Bold were still unable to find the back of the net.
While TMU’s offence couldn’t quite break through Western’s defence, the Bold showed resilience. Their penalty kills and defensive play were the highlight of the game despite the loss. With one more pre-season game ahead, the Bold will look to fine-tune their strategy and lineups as they prepare for the 2024-2025 Ontario University Athletics regular season.
UP NEXT: The Bold will play their last pre-season game against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks on Friday, Oct. 4 at Campus Ice Centre in Oshawa Ont. Puck-drop is set at 7 p.m.
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