By Matteo Giuliano

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men’s hockey team dropped their second straight game on Friday night with a frustrating 4-3 loss to the Lakehead Thunderwolves at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC). 

The Bold were looking to bounce back from an 8-4 loss to Windsor a week ago but a sloppy first period ultimately ended up being their downfall in tonight’s game.  

The first 10 minutes of the opening period were the definition of high-event hockey, with both teams trading chances throughout the first half of the opening frame. However, TMU’s mistakes found them trailing 3-1 after 20 minutes. 

Lakehead got the scoring started just three and a half minutes into the first after a TMU defenseman tripped and fell in the neutral zone. The Thunderwolves stripped him of the puck, and went in on a three-on-one and scored off a tic-tac-toe passing play. 

TMU’s leading point-getter heading into the game, fourth-year forward Will Portokalis, evened the game up just under three and a half minutes later with a one-timer in the middle of the ice on a power play. The Bold won the draw, and worked the puck around nicely before Portokalis fired it through fourth-year goaltender Christian Cicigoi’s legs to tie the game. 

Lakehead answered back with two goals in quick succession. The first saw the puck bounce off the post, off fourth-year goaltender Kai Edmonds’ back and trickle over the goal line. The second goal was created off a faceoff. Fourth-year forward Keighan Gerrie of Lakehead took a pass, spun and fired it past Edmonds’s shoulder to extend Lakehead’s lead to 3-1. 

Although the second goal was an unfortunate bounce off the post, TMU made too many mistakes in the defensive zone that led to scoring chances. 

The second period was better for the Bold. Although they couldn’t get a goal back, they were far more physical than Lakehead and dictated the play. 

Edmonds was sharp on the chances he saw and the team cleaned up its play and had the best chances of the period. 

Down 3-1 heading into the third, TMU needed a big period but they just couldn’t get anything going until it was too late. Lakehead extended their lead to 4-1 on a shot from the point that appeared to be deflected off a Bold player and past Edmonds with just under eight minutes left. 

Facing a three-goal deficit, with just over two minutes left, TMU second-year forward Spencer Shugrue was able to cut the lead to two off the rush. Then, with just 11 seconds left on the clock, Portokalis scored his second of the game, banging in a rebound right in front of the net. Although they had a look to tie it with mere seconds to go, TMU couldn’t find the equalizer.

Although the penalty kill was sharp, the two third period penalties taken by the Bold took time away from what should’ve been offensively-focused shifts while down in the third. 

TMU head coach Johnny Duco was disappointed in his team’s performance tonight. “There was not a lot of urgency to start the game… We just didn’t have it. We came out sloppy and sluggish,” said Duco. 

Although Portokalis scored twice tonight, he wasn’t satisfied with the game either, saying, “It’s good to have some personal success, but the team’s not doing well and it’s not fun coming to the rink when you aren’t winning.” 

UP NEXT: The Bold have a quick turnaround as the Guelph Gryphons come to the MAC tomorrow night. Puck-drop is at 6:15 p.m.