WATERLO, Ont. - After a night to forget on Thursday in Toronto, the Laurier Golden Hawks found their way back into the win column Saturday afternoon, defeating the Windsor Lancers 3-2 in a shootout on Laurier Hockey Alumni Day.  

Before the game began, the Golden Hawks welcomed back captains from four different decades ranging from the 1980s to the 2010s. Laurier greats Eric Calder, Matt Kearns, Matt Grennier, and Matt Provost met at the centre for a ceremonial puck drop.

The Golden Hawks broke the ice just 5:34 into the opening frame. Tyler Davis walked into the Lancers' zone and let loose a shot over the shoulder of netminder Nathan Torchia for his fourth goal of the campaign. 

At 11:48, Windsor's Holden Wale made a cross-crease pass to Johnny Ulicny to get the Lancers on the board. The goal was Ulicny's first goal of his OUA career. 

Windsor's Jake Durham found Mason Kohn in a soft spot behind the Laurier defence. Kohn beat Christian Propp to give the Lancers their first lead with 2:50 left in the first. 

Laurier had two unsuccessful power play opportunities in the second period before Sam Williamson beat Torchia to tie the game up at two. The goal was Williamson's first in his young OUA career. 

Despite playing shorthanded for six minutes, Windsor outshot Laurier 20 to 7 in the second period. 

A penalty parade ran from 5:50 to 10:08 into the third period as neither team could escape the referee's wrath. Almost half of the period was played with 9 or less skaters on the ice.

Laurier faced a minute of five-on-three hockey, but Propp and the PK unit were able to hold the Lancers off. Laurier was awarded the only powerplay that was uninterrupted by another penalty.

Neither team was able to take advantage of the power play opportunities that they were given and the game would need extra minutes. 

The Golden Hawks out-chanced and outshot the Lancers 7-2 in overtime, but Torchia didn't crack. 

Christian Propp made a season-high 48 stops on 50 shots the Lancers sent in his direction. He proceeded to hold down the fort for the Golden Hawks in the shootout, saving 3 of 3 chances. 

Laurier's final shooter (and leading goal-scorer) Sam Rhodes, with the game on his stick as he skated towards Windsor's netminder, made a move before putting the puck in between Torchia's legs to give the Golden Hawks the win.

The difference between this afternoon's game and Thursday's against TMU? "A lot more energy, we were playing faster in this one," said Laurier head coach and manager of men's hockey operations, Kevin Forrest. 

"For whatever reason against TMU, we were just flat. Even getting on the bus and driving down to TMU, I've never seen us so quiet. But tonight, there was a lot more urgency in our play .. and we found a way to grind out points tonight."

Playoff Watch

The Golden Hawks, minus Thursday's anomaly against TMU, have been on fire recently. Before the break, they defeated two nationally-ranked teams, Concordia and Brock. After the break, they won a Battle of Waterloo and picked up four points in back-to-back games against Lakehead.

Laurier currently has a record of 9-12-1-1 and sits in eighth place, good for a spot in the play-in game but just two points out of the final playoff spot, which is held by Guelph.

Five games remain in the regular season, with three at home and two on the road.

Plus + Mentors in the Room

Forrest sums this one up perfectly:

"The vibe in the room is great. The younger guys are getting more confident. They've gotten more used to the time management part. Some of them haven't been in school for a couple of years, so they have to catch up on time management skills and get used to going to class again, with a heavy workload and a busy hockey schedule.

On the other hand, the veterans have really stepped up. They have been so good at being patient and supportive of the younger guys while they get their feet under them. I am hesitant to name names, in case I leave anybody out, but guys like [Patrick] Brown, [Conor] Ali and [Nick] Giunta, have taken these guys under their wings. Their game has gone through the roof this year."

Up Next:

The Golden Hawks shift their focus towards the Waterloo Warriors for their third and final match-up against each other in the Battle of the Aud. 

The Golden Hawks are 1-1 against the Warriors (3-17-1-1) this season. A win against Waterloo is crucial in the hunt for the last playoff spot. 

Puck drop is at 7 pm and tickets are on sale now! 

Follow the action on X at @WLUAthletics or catch all the action on OUA.tv