By Alexandra Beacock
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team secured a 6-2 victory over the first-place Western Mustangs in a hard-fought, physical matchup at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Wednesday night.
The Bold entered the game hungry to build on their previous win against the Université du Québec à Trois Rivieres Patriotes, aiming to carry that momentum into their showdown against the top-seeded Western Mustangs.
“We really challenged the group to come out and play some more urgency, play with some more desperation, and I thought they did just that,” said Bold head coach Johnny Duco.
From the opening puck drop, both teams brought energy and physicality, setting a competitive tone. Second-year Bold forward Daniil Grigorev was taken to the ice after knee-on-knee contact by fourth-year Mustangs center Andrew Bruder, who was assessed a double minor penalty for clipping. While this temporarily disrupted Western’s early momentum, they quickly regained their stride and continued to play aggressively.
During the early TMU powerplay, the Bold controlled the puck well in Western’s zone but struggled to generate any quality chances on the net. The Mustangs countered with opportunities of their own, including a shot from first-year center Lawson Sherk that slipped loose from third-year Bold goalie Kai Edmonds’ grasp.
The most notable chance came from a two-on-one rush featuring Sherk and Western second-year center Jacob Santerre, but the pair couldn’t find the back of the net, coming up just short near the side of the crease.
The Mustangs were granted their first power play of the game about nine minutes into the game after Bold were handed a two-minute minor for too many men. From there, penalties continued to plague both teams, including a cross-checking call against third-year Western right-wing Christiano Aiello at 15:23.
This power play opportunity opened the door for TMU. Fourth-year forward Chris Playfair capitalized on the man advantage after his shot deflected off the stick of third-year Western’s goaltender Jack McNaughton, netting the first goal of the game and his third of the season.
The Mustangs responded in a hurry. After the puck deflected off a Bold skate, third-year defenceman Anthony Allepot found the back of the net with a dinging bar-down shot from the top of the circle, his first goal of the season. However, Allepot’s momentum was short-lived, as he took a tripping penalty just seconds later, granting TMU another powerplay.
Third-year Bold forward Connor Bowie was called for tripping less than a minute later, setting up an exciting four-on-four sequence before second-year Bold defenceman Jaden Raad was called for a hooking penalty with three seconds left in the period.
Western outshot TMU 10-6 after 20 minutes of play, with both sides poised for more physical and high-stakes hockey heading into the second period.
The second period brought a surge of offensive action from both teams, with the Bold taking control early on.
First-year TMU defenceman Jaden Condotta struck quickly to open the period, netting his third goal of the season with a powerful shot at the blueline that escaped McNaughton.
“I feel like I am contributing all over the ice, not just in the O-zone but in the D-zone,” said Condotta. “I just have to keep it up. The team is heading in the right direction.”
Just over a minute later, the Bold extended their lead. A long pass by fourth-year defender Joe Rupoli from TMU’s defensive end found fourth-year forward Jackson Doherty at Western’s blue line. Doherty capitalized with a slick five-hole finish, marking his third goal of the season.
Western decreased the lead to in short order. Third-year right-wing Josh Leblanc tallied his first goal of the season after third-year defender Drew Wawrow passed it behind the net to Santerre who found Leblanc alone in the slot to finish it on net.
However, a slashing penalty against Sherk at 10:56 gave TMU another chance to flaunt their improving power play from earlier in the season. The Bold took full advantage, as fifth-year forward Kevin Gursoy found the back of the net after a quick snipe off a cross-crease pass from Grigorev, giving the Bold a two-goal lead once again.
Ducco described special teams as something that is finally coming together for his team and they are using it to build momentum. “Early on special teams was something that kind of let us down. We’ve spent a lot of time working on it. So it’s nice to see it start to pay off,” he explained.
Gursoy continued to press, showcasing his speed in a puck race that led to a one-on-one chance. However, McNaughton made a crucial save to deny Gursoy a second point. TMU’s relentless offensive pressure underscored the importance of staying on the gas and maintaining momentum.
“You got to get pucks to the net. You got to play simple, but you got to execute and make plays that are available. And you know, they did that tonight,” said Duco, highlighting the team’s commitment to sustaining their intensity and capitalizing on every opportunity.
A tripping penalty to third-year forward Ian Martin disrupted the Bold’s rhythm for a bit but they remained in charge of the game. The Mustangs could not maximize their power play but instead earned a penalty of their own when fourth-year center Shane Bulitka was handed a minor for holding. The period ended dramatically, as Western generated a close chance in TMU’s crease right at the buzzer. However, the officials waved the goal off, ruling no goal and maintaining a 3-1 lead for the Bold.
The Bold’s defensive unit was crucial in maintaining control of the second period, consistently shutting down Western’s offensive threats and keeping the pressure off Edmonds. TMU outshot Western 18-26 after two periods, with their efficiency on special teams and dynamic offence setting the tone for the final frame.
“We are a defensive-first team. We keep it simple, we move pucks up to the forwards and let them make the plays,” said Condotta.
The final period was a tense, hard-fought battle as Western pushed to close the gap but TMU held strong.
Early on, Grigorev unleashed a powerful slap shot but McNaughton came up with an impressive save to keep his team in the game. At the other end of the ice, Western generated a dangerous two-on-one opportunity but Edmonds delivered a clutch save to preserve the Bold’s lead.
As the clock wound down, Western called a timeout with 2:48 remaining, opting to pull their goalie in a last-ditch effort to find the back of the Bold’s net. Instead, TMU capitalized on their empty net opportunity, with Martin scoring his fifth goal of the season.
The period ended with intensity, as a hit from behind on third-year defender Evan Brand led to a heated scrum near the Bold bench. Players on the ice and bench for both teams showed clear frustration in an incident that ended with a roughing and game misconduct penalty for Mustangs defender Jake Gravelle, checking from behind penalty for Mustangs defender Eric Van Impe and a 10-minute misconduct penalty for Santerre. Three 10-minute misconduct penalties were also handed to TMU’s Playfair, Doherty and first-year forward Julian Fantino. Reflecting on the physical incident, Duco said he liked his team’s push-back.
“Our guys are looking to stick up for their teammate who just got cheap-shotted,” he said. “I thought they did a good job sticking up for their teammate, but while remaining disciplined and not crossing the line.”
Despite the chaos, TMU maintained composure and found the back of Western’s net one last time with a final goal from Grigorev with 23 seconds remaining, securing the Bold a 6-2 victory.
Looking ahead to their next match against the red-hot Queens Gaels, Duco emphasized that if his team shows up and plays the way they are capable of, they can beat anybody.
“We’re right here. We just have to focus on Saturday night against Queen’s,” he said. “It’s a really, really good hockey team, and we’re gonna have to be sharp and play well.”
UP NEXT: The Bold will face the Queens Gaels, who sit second in the Ontario University Athletics East division with a 12-3 record, at the MAC on Nov. 23. Puck-drop is set at 6:15 p.m.
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