By Francesco Cautillo

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team came out victorious in an action-packed 4-1 over the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues on Friday at Varsity Arena.

The Bold came into this game off a 4-2 win against the Western University Mustangs, hoping that a win would help gain some confidence and build a win streak.

This cross-town rivalry started just as expected, with physicality and big hits on both ends. TMU’s second-year forward Slava Melikov found himself on the receiving end of one of these hits.

The Bold silenced Varsity Arena quickly with an opening goal from first-year forward Carter MacAdams that left U of T’s first-year goaltender Nick Surzycia flat-footed. TMU pounced on this opportunity to catch their opponents off guard, using the counter-attack to their advantage.

First-year defenceman Easton Kovacs gave U of T the first man-advantage of the game off a cross-checking penalty. To make matters worse for the Bold, his teammate forward Will Portokalis joined him in the penalty box, as the fourth-year’s hooking penalty gave the Varsity Blues nearly a minute on the five-on-three.

After confident stops from fourth-year goaltender Kai Edmonds, the blue and gold were able to kill off time and come back to even strength.

Penalty troubles continued for the Bold after fourth-year forward Ian Martin was booked for TMU’s third straight penalty in the first period.

Head coach Johnny Duco commented about his team’s unfortunate stretch of penalties, saying that “we want to play with an edge, we want to stick together, and we want to be smart.”

“We really just talked about being disciplined, playing hard and fast, and keeping our sticks on the ice,” said Duco.

Despite being outshot after 20 minutes, the Bold held a tight one-goal lead heading into the second.

TMU went on their first power play of the night early in the frame and despite a barrage of shots from the offence, U of T’s physicality was able to settle down their opponents.

The Bold were given a second chance after the Varsity Blues picked up their second penalty of the period. Unable to capitalize on two power plays, the Bold would have to focus their strategy on dominating possession of the puck. 

Duco described the feeling of a  difference in size between the two teams’ arenas, saying that at Varsity Arena “things happen fast” and “you need to get involved in the game early.”

TMU struggled to clear their defensive zone midway through the second, resulting in a holding violation. Even with U of T’s consistent power play attack, Edmonds stood tall between the pipes, tallying 18 saves in the game so far.

After exchanging penalties and a series of fights to end the second period, the scoreboard remained with the Bold up by one.

The final stanza began with a four-on-three for U of T, where blocked shots and controlled defence helped bring the teams back to even strength.

Portokalis increased TMU’s lead to two with a beautiful toe drag by the defender, which he topped off with a wrist shot past Surzycia’s glove.

The Bold were playing a risky game with their lead, drawing more penalties and giving U of T a chance to open their scoring tally on the night. Third-year forward Julian Recine was able to slot the puck high over Edmonds’s shoulder, sending Varsity Arena and the U of T bench into a frenzy.

Edmonds described how he reset after the first U of T goal, stating “it’s about focusing on the next one and the fact that we’re still up.”

Unfazed by their shut-out being broken, the Bold were set on responding quickly. First-year forward Marko Djordjevic found the back of the net off a scramble in the offensive zone, claiming his first Ontario University Athletics goal in spectacular fashion.

“Playing against U of T is a big game,” said Djordjevic, adding that “our first two games of the season didn’t go too well but this was one of our biggest wins.”

Portokalis found the dagger with five minutes left, marking the score at 4-1 with his top corner shot.

With the final buzzer sounding, the Bold were able to cap a successful away day, ending the game with a sweet victory over their city rival.

UP NEXT: The Bold will continue on the road and are set to battle the York University Lions at Canlan Ice Sports on Oct. 19. Puck-drop is set for 2:15 p.m.