WATERLOO, Ont. - The Golden Hawks earned a hard-fought 1–0 victory over the Algoma Thunderbirds on Saturday afternoon, securing a vital three points in front of their home crowd at Ansley Alumni Field.
 
Both sides came out with intensity in the opening minutes, trading early chances and fouls in what quickly became a physical match-up.

Laurier's press created several attacking opportunities, with Maksym Telishchuk finding the breakthrough in the 36th minute.

The rookie midfielder capitalized on a precise pass from Andrea Chiechi, slotting the ball past Algoma's keeper Joshua Bondoc to give the Hawks a 1–0 lead.
 
Laurier carried their advantage into halftime and continued to control play in the second half. The Hawks maintained strong possession and composure despite the Thunderbirds' high pressure. Midfielder Matthew Andree and forward Tristan Greenidge each generated quality looks on net, while goalkeeper David Carano made several key stops to preserve the clean sheet.
 
The match grew increasingly physical as the half progressed, with multiple fouls and a red card shown to Algoma in the final 10 minutes.

Laurier, however, held firm defensively to close out the 1–0 win.
 
After the match, Head Coach Mario Halapir praised his team's collective effort and depth, saying, "We got three points, I'm ecstatic about that. Overall, it was a really good team win today. We used every single sub we had on the bench and executed what we wanted to do, which was excellent."
 
Looking ahead to Sunday's rematch, Halapir noted the team's focus on maintaining consistency, adding, "We're going to work on the things we didn't do well today. Tomorrow will be a true test for us; it's about how we come out mentally."
 

Up Next:
The Golden Hawks (3-5-2) take on the Thunderbirds (2-5-2) at Ansley Alumni Field on Sunday, October 5 for Senior Day.

Kick-off is at 3:15pm and admission is free.

Fans can also follow @WLUAthletics on X for live updates.