January 29, 2014
MEN'S HOCKEY ROUNDUP: Laurier earns shootout win over Waterloo in front of 2,800 School Day Game fans
Tuesday, January 28
Waterlo 2 @ Laurier 3 (SO)
WATERLOO, Ont. - Rookie Brendan Woods of London, Ont., scored in regulation and added the only goal of the shootout as the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men's hockey team defeated the Waterloo Warriors 3-2 in their first annual School Day Game at the Waterloo Recreation Complex.
With 2,780 fans on hand for the game, a new school record for attendance at a hockey game, the Hawks earned a crucial two points in the OUA West division standings. Laurier now trails Waterloo by five points for the eighth and final playoff spot with six games remaining in the regular season.
"Hearing the crowd was awesome," commented Woods following the victory. "We were short bodies today and the crowd really lifted us in the third and helped us push through and find two points."
"It was amazing," reiterated starting goalie Vinny Merante of Niagara Falls, N.Y., who made 41 saves for the win. "That's the most fans we've had here all year. It was an awesome experience for everybody and it was a good outcome."
Playing with only 13 skaters, the Hawks employed a grinding style of play from the opening faceoff. Despite the Warriors having five more skaters dressed for the contest, the purple and gold kept pace with the visitors throughout the opening 20 minutes as the two teams headed to the dressing rooms scoreless.
With the crowd urging on the Hawks to start the second, Laurier burst through on the scoreboard thanks to Woods. The diminutive centre picked up the puck at the blueline and walked in on a partial breakaway before snapping a shot high over the shoulder of Warriors goalie Mike Morrison of Hamilton, to open the scoring.
Before the period was out, Waterloo found a way to even the game as a seeing eye shot from the blue line by Anthony Tapper of Marmora, Ont., beat Merante to send the teams to the dressing rooms tied at one.
Early in the third, the Hawks regained the lead thanks to a goal from rookie Luke Hietkamp of London, Ont., but Waterloo responded just a minute and a half later to tie the game back up at two.
The Warriors pushed for the go-ahead marker late in the period as the Hawks wore down but Merante stood tall and finished the frame with 20 saves to send the game to overtime.
After nothing was decided in the extra time, Woods and Merante once again came to the forefront. Woods beat Morrison through the five-hole on Laurier's second shot and Merante shut down all three Warriors shooters, including one of the conference’s top scorers in Justin Larson of Buckhorn, Ont., to give the Hawks the win.
The victory improves Laurier's record to 8-12-2 on the year while the Warriors fall to 10-9-3.
The Hawks, with points in two straight games, will look to extend that streak to three on Thursday when they travel to Toronto to take on the York Lions (12-9-1). Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Canlan Ice Sports.
Source: Laurier Sports Info
Waterlo 2 @ Laurier 3 (SO)
WATERLOO, Ont. - Rookie Brendan Woods of London, Ont., scored in regulation and added the only goal of the shootout as the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men's hockey team defeated the Waterloo Warriors 3-2 in their first annual School Day Game at the Waterloo Recreation Complex.
With 2,780 fans on hand for the game, a new school record for attendance at a hockey game, the Hawks earned a crucial two points in the OUA West division standings. Laurier now trails Waterloo by five points for the eighth and final playoff spot with six games remaining in the regular season.
"Hearing the crowd was awesome," commented Woods following the victory. "We were short bodies today and the crowd really lifted us in the third and helped us push through and find two points."
"It was amazing," reiterated starting goalie Vinny Merante of Niagara Falls, N.Y., who made 41 saves for the win. "That's the most fans we've had here all year. It was an awesome experience for everybody and it was a good outcome."
Playing with only 13 skaters, the Hawks employed a grinding style of play from the opening faceoff. Despite the Warriors having five more skaters dressed for the contest, the purple and gold kept pace with the visitors throughout the opening 20 minutes as the two teams headed to the dressing rooms scoreless.
With the crowd urging on the Hawks to start the second, Laurier burst through on the scoreboard thanks to Woods. The diminutive centre picked up the puck at the blueline and walked in on a partial breakaway before snapping a shot high over the shoulder of Warriors goalie Mike Morrison of Hamilton, to open the scoring.
Before the period was out, Waterloo found a way to even the game as a seeing eye shot from the blue line by Anthony Tapper of Marmora, Ont., beat Merante to send the teams to the dressing rooms tied at one.
Early in the third, the Hawks regained the lead thanks to a goal from rookie Luke Hietkamp of London, Ont., but Waterloo responded just a minute and a half later to tie the game back up at two.
The Warriors pushed for the go-ahead marker late in the period as the Hawks wore down but Merante stood tall and finished the frame with 20 saves to send the game to overtime.
After nothing was decided in the extra time, Woods and Merante once again came to the forefront. Woods beat Morrison through the five-hole on Laurier's second shot and Merante shut down all three Warriors shooters, including one of the conference’s top scorers in Justin Larson of Buckhorn, Ont., to give the Hawks the win.
The victory improves Laurier's record to 8-12-2 on the year while the Warriors fall to 10-9-3.
The Hawks, with points in two straight games, will look to extend that streak to three on Thursday when they travel to Toronto to take on the York Lions (12-9-1). Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Canlan Ice Sports.
Source: Laurier Sports Info
