ST. CATHERINES, Ont. - Laurier's men's soccer team saw its season come to a close Wednesday night, after falling 1-0 to the Brock Badgers in a hard-fought OUA West division first-round playoff matchup at Brock Alumni Field.
The game opened with high intensity, as Laurier was looking to secure the victory and advance to the OUA quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.
Laurier goalkeeper
David Carano was called into action early, making several key saves to keep the Hawks in the game.
Carano stood tall against a flurry of Brock opportunities in the first half, turning away shots from Luca Danesi, Tiago Pereira, and Lucas Medeiros to send the match into halftime scoreless.
Both teams continued to play with energy and determination in the second half, trading fouls and set pieces as the physicality ramped up.
Laurier maintained solid defensive organization and composure despite multiple Brock corner kicks.
The match's intensity peaked late, with yellow cards issued to both teams.
Despite Laurier's resilient defensive effort, Brock finally broke through in the closing seconds. In the 90th minute, Nathaniel Oliveira capitalized on a cross from Luca Danesi, finding the back of the net to give the Badgers the decisive 1-0 lead.
With the loss, the Golden Hawks' playoff run comes to an abrupt end, but it marked back-to-back seasons the team has qualified for postseason play.
It also comes after being on the outside looking in for six straight years, from 2017 to 2023.