By Kyla Pugen

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s hockey team secured a gritty 3-2 comeback victory over city rivals the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues in a marathon performance on Saturday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).

Coming off a 1-0 loss to Wilfrid Laurier last night, the Bold displayed immense resilience to overcome relentless Blues offense and a dramatic seven-round shootout. 

The opening frame was defined by the Varsity Blues’ offensive pressure. Still finding their “game legs,” TMU, who would soon be down a player, relied on spectacular play from first-year goaltender Katie Frost.

While TMU earned brief power play windows, the momentum swung back toward the visitors as the Bold were forced to kill off two penalties of their own, including a five-minute major assessed to fourth-year forward Britini Yammine.

By the time the buzzer sounded, the Varsity Blues held an 11-7 edge in shots but thanks to Frost the game remained tied at zero. 

The start of the second period saw the Bold under the gun, killing off another penalty to keep the game scoreless. However, the Blues kept up their strong play. Just 75 seconds into the period, third-year forward Abby Whitworth struck on the power play, putting the Varsity Blues up 1-0 to snap the tie. 

Once back at full strength, TMU earned a woman-advantage of their own. They quickly went to work, crowding the crease and playing a physical game in front of U of T’s net. The Bold’s opportunity peaked when they found themselves on a five-on-three power play, giving them a prime chance to even the score. Despite these attempts and the increased offensive zone time, the Varsity Blues’ defensive system remained strong. 

The momentum swung back toward U of T late in the period. It was here that Frost provided the highlight of the night with an incredible “ten-bell” save, keeping the Bold within striking distance. Despite their heroics in net, the Bold struggled to find consistent ice time in the offensive zone, leaving them trailing 1-0 and down 21-14 on the shot clock heading into the third. 

Starting the third period, the Bold were desperate for a goal. They came out hot, racking up shots and putting pressure on the U of T defense. Their persistence finally paid off when first-year forward Riley Del Monte found space in front of the net and rifled a shot home to tie the game 1-1. 

The seesaw battle continued as the clock ticked down. A TMU penalty late in the game gave the Blues another opening, and Whitworth capitalized again, scoring her second of the night to break the tie. With less than a minute remaining and staring down a second consecutive loss, the Bold called a timeout. 

Post-game, TMU head coach Lisa Haley explained that she uses the huddle to “try to keep the [team’s] focus narrow on what has to happen next and not talk about too big of a picture.” 

Pulling Frost for an extra attacker and with just 20 seconds left on the clock, third-year forward Neely Van Volsen found the back of the net to stun the Blues and send the MAC into a frenzy. 

“Getting that other one with 20 seconds left really brought the energy in. Even on the overtime, everybody was balls to the wall,” said fourth-year forward Gaby Gareau. “Everybody was bought in. I think it was just a team effort.”

After a back and forth overtime that saw TMU on a late four-on-three power play, the game moved to a shootout. It would take seven grueling rounds to find a winner. 

Frost was a wall, matching U of T’s second-year goaltender Lyla McKinnon save for save. After several rounds of denied attempts, it was U of T third-year forward Taylor Delahey who finally scored, putting pressure on the Bold. 

First-year TMU defender Maddy Collins answered immediately, scoring a goal to keep the shootout going. After more saves on both sides, Gareau scored the game winner, sealing the 3-2 victory for the Bold. 

Gareau later talked about her shootout winner, sharing that during her first attempt, she was “in very tight and wasn’t able to finish high” and knew that for her second attempt, she “wanted to stay a little bit higher in the crease but still try to move [McKinnon] and finish high.”

The win marks a monumental turnaround for the Bold, especially after their  shutout loss the night prior. Despite spending much of the night on the penalty kill, TMU’s resilience and elite goaltending secured them the hard fought victory. 

UP NEXT: TMU will take on the University of Guelph Gryphons on Jan. 23 at the MAC. Puck-drop is set for 6:15 p.m.