WATERLOO, Ont. - The Battle of Waterloo lived up to its name in a heated, foul-heavy contest between Laurier and the Waterloo Warriors on Friday night. Thanks to some late-game heroics, it was the Golden Hawks earning full points in a 1-0 win.
From the opening whistle, both teams were engaged in fierce competition setting the tone of the match.
Despite the intense back-and-forth play, the first half ended in a scoreless draw.
Both teams struggled to create clear scoring chances, with few shots on net.
The energy ramped up after halftime as both sides came out determined to find the back of the net. The match grew increasingly physical leading to many yellow cards being handed out, which totaled six by the end of the night.
Laurier's Adriano Colangelo, Benoit Lariviere, Arjan Khela, and Alexander Wiktorek were all shown yellow along with Waterloo's Adam Pooradzisz and Denilson Clamp.
With time running out, Wiktorek provided a breakthrough, scoring the game's only goal and sealing a 1-0 victory for Laurier.
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"I just looked for the open space, took a step back, and put trust in my winger that he would give me the ball," said the second-year defender after the match. "I took a touch forward and slid it in."
Laurier head coach Mario Halapir was extremely happy with the team's performance - which was Laurier's first win over Waterloo since 2016 -Â especially towards the end of the game.
"They came out and fought and everyone competed," Halapir said, conveying his satisfaction with how the team executed the game plan and were prepared and eager to compete in Sunday's rematch down University Avenue.
Up Next
It will be the second game of the Battle of Waterloo derby between the Golden Hawks (2-1-1) and the Waterloo Warriors (0-3-2) on Sunday, September 15 at Warrior Field.
Kick-off is at 3:15 pm.
