WATERLOO, Ont. - The Laurier Golden Hawks took on the Brock Badgers on Saturday night for their season and home opener at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. In what turned out to be a low-scoring affair, the Brock Badgers came out on top, 1-0.
 
After a hard-fought opening twenty minutes - and many good chances for both teams - the Badgers and Golden Hawks combined for 11 shots on goal.

As the Golden Hawks found themselves in a 5-on-3 penalty kill situation in the middle of the second period, the Badgers again had many opportunities to get on the scoreboard first. However, Laurier goaltender Acadia Carlson shut down every chance they got.

The Golden Hawks played hard defensively for the remainder of the period as Brock held possession for the majority of it. 

With just three minutes remaining in the frame, Brock scored on the power play to break the goose egg.

The Golden Hawks began the third period dominating inside the Brock blue line. Halfway through the period, the Badgers took two penalties, allowing the Golden Hawks to have a two-woman advantage. Although they couldn't find the back of the net, their effective puck movement was definitely evident.

As the third period continued, Brock began dominating the game again. The Golden Hawks pulled their goalie in a last-minute attempt to tie it up, however, were unable to do so.

Laurier's manager of women's hockey operations and head coach Kelly Paton described the game as "interesting" and provided insight on what will continue to motivate the Golden Hawks between the second and third periods going forward.

"We are just trying to reinforce that we can be a third-period team. Whether we are down a goal or two or leading, this has got to be a part of our growth and identity at Laurier; just feeling confident that we can still achieve the outcome that we want."

Up Next:
The Golden Hawks take on the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks on Friday, October 20. Puck drop in Oshawa is at 7 p.m. 

Laurier will head to Kingston to battle the Queen's Gaels on October 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Both games will be streamed live on OUA.tv