TORONTO, Ont. - After a strong effort couldn't produce an upset over the #1 Western Mustangs in last week's home opener, the Golden Hawks fought their way into the win column today on the road against the Toronto Varsity Blues. The final score was 25-20.  

Coming into the game, Toronto was riding the momentum of their 28-13 home opener victory over the Carleton Ravens. The Varsity Blues' defence was instrumental in that win, as they shut out the Ravens in the first half and held them to just 13 first downs on the night. 

Up to the challenge, Laurier's offence was firing early.

"We had a really good balance early on," said Head Coach and Manager of Football Operations Michael Faulds. "Both (Tanner Nelmes) and (Quentin Scott) were able to get some holes up front and we were able to establish a run game. And then (Taylor Elgersma) made some great throws."

The Golden Hawks' second drive spanned 103 yards and ended with a touchdown courtesy of Ben McAlpine.
 

Laurier's defence was equally impressive. Toronto amassed a whopping 355 total rushing yards against Carleton but was held to just 74 today. Laurier also managed six tackles for loss as a team, two of which came from Brandon Omonuwa. 

After Dawson Hodge's only field goal brought the Golden Hawks' lead to 10-1 early in the second quarter, the two teams traded touchdowns. Toronto's Adam Williams rushed into the endzone before Laurier's Ethan Jordan, coming off an outstanding debut game in the home opener, secured his first career major on a 28-yard pass from Elgersma.

A tricky last-second play resulted in a rouge for the Varsity Blues, cutting the lead to 17-9 at halftime. The Golden Hawks increased it on the first drive of the second half, as Quentin Scott ran for his first touchdown of the season. 

After a late third quarter major by Toronto made it a one-score game, both teams tightened up defensively in the fourth. The Varsity Blues managed a field goal with just under five minutes to play, but otherwise could not solve the Golden Hawks strong defence.  

With the win, the Laurier improves to 1-1 on the season, while Toronto falls to 1-2.

"Toronto is a really good football team," said Faulds. "We're happy to get out of there with a win on the road, which is never easy now in the OUA."

Top Performers

Laurier Golden Hawks
Quentin Scott has emerged as a reliable go-to option out of the backfield for the Golden Hawks. He had 99 yards on 14 carries, as well as a 20-yard kickoff return to bring his total offensive yardage to 119. Look for him to continue to put up big numbers as the season progresses.

Toronto Varsity Blues
Quarterback Kinsale Philip followed up his remarkable performance against Carleton with another strong game, completing 18 of 30 pass attempts for 192 yards. He also had a net of 23 yards rushing, picking up a few clutch first downs on the ground.
 

Up Next

Laurier will be back on the road to face the York Lions next Saturday at 1 p.m. Follow @wluathletics on Twitter for live coverage and catch all the action at OUA.tv. Then, on September 24, the Golden Hawks will host the Ottawa Gee-Gees for Homecoming weekend. Tickets are on sale now.