The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey team came out on top in a thrilling 3-2 preseason shootout victory over the TMU Bold on Wednesday (Sept. 30) night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
The crosstown rivals wasted no time turning up the intensity, with TMU opening the scoring with just over seven minutes remaining in the first period. The Blues continued to battle, generating chances and keeping the Bold within reach as the opening frame ended 1-0.
Toronto found its breakthrough midway through the second. Second-year forward Ryan Watt buried the equalizer, with first-year forward Keanan Dewberry and third-year forward Sam Marit picking up the assists to bring the Blues level at 1-1. TMU answered with less than five minutes left in the frame to regain the lead, but Toronto refused to go quietly.
With time winding down in regulation and the Blues on the power play, third-year forward Cooper Way delivered the clutch moment, finding the back of the net with three minutes to go, making it 2-2. Third-year forward Sean Clarke and second-year defenceman Isaiah Peters earned the helpers on the game-tying goal and sent the Battle of Toronto into overtime.
Seven minutes of overtime couldn't separate the two sides, setting the stage for a shootout. In the shootout, third-year forward Jeremi Tremblay buried the winner, while goaltender Eric Young shut the door on TMU's shooters to seal the victory. Between the pipes, Jordan Fairlie and Young combined for 34 total saves to secure the victory.
The Blues return to action on Saturday, Oct. 3, when they travel to take on Notre Dame at 4 p.m.
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