WATERLOO, Ont. - In a disappointing result at home on Senior Day, the Golden Hawks outshot TMU 44-16 but fell short in overtime, losing 3-2 in their regular season finale. 

Laurier found themselves on their heels early, struggling to gain offensive momentum while spending much of the opening frame in their zone.
 
TMU capitalized first as Lauren McEachen fired a shot from the blue line to beat goaltender Kayla Renaud on the blocker side. 

However, as the period progressed, the purple and gold began to dictate play and eventually broke through late in the frame. 

A perfectly executed drop pass from captain Hayley Szymanowski set up Kylie Laliberte in the circle, where she snapped a shot past TMU's netminder, Lauren Griffen, to even the score at one.

W??: GOAL ?? Kylie Laliberte gets the equalizer!??
1-1. #SoarAbove | #WLUvsTMU pic.twitter.com/6rQK84stAW

— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) February 15, 2025

The Golden Hawks continued to push the pace, doubling TMU in shots, but the visiting team's defensive play slowed them down. 

TMU focused on board battles to wear down Laurier, effectively neutralizing their offensive zone pressure. 

Despite generating several quality chances, the purple and gold could not convert, and the game remained tied at one heading into the final frame.

The Golden Hawks' power play struggled to capitalize on multiple opportunities, and it proved costly. 

Midway through the period, TMU struck again with another shot from the blue line, this time from Megan Breen on the power play, to take a 2-1 lead. 

Laurier, relentless in their attack, fired 15 shots in the period and finally found the equalizer in the dying minutes.
 
With the extra attacker on the ice, Abby Glandon pounced on a loose rebound, dramatically forcing overtime with 45 seconds remaining.

W??: GOAL ?? ABBY GLANDON TIES THE GAME WITH 45 SECONDS TO GO???? 2-2. #SoarAbove | #WLUvsTMU pic.twitter.com/V99cEmwwqp

— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) February 15, 2025

While the Golden Hawks controlled possession for much of the extra frame, a tripping penalty against Olivia MacMillan put them on the penalty kill. 

Unfortunately, TMU wasted no time. Emily Baxter fired a bar-down shot to seal the game, handing Laurier a tough overtime loss.

Despite the result, assistant coach Hayley Baxter remained confident in the team's ability to regroup heading into playoffs. 

"Our team has been performing well leading up to playoffs," said Baxter. "So the expectation is that we just learn from this game and move forward into our playoff series and be the team that we know we can be."

With a quarter-round matchup against archrival Waterloo on the horizon - a team that eliminated them last year - Laurier is determined to turn the page and make a statement.  

"You need to have the will to want to win," Baxter emphasized. "Being matched up against Waterloo, we have to come with that competitive mindset, and I do think our player group is capable of doing that."

The evening also held extra significance as Laurier celebrated its three graduating players, Arielle MacDonald, Brianna Bowman and Eryn Wolfe.
 
"I think the most rewarding part is being able to play for my teammates and being a collective unit and a family," Wolfe shared. 

As her collegiate career comes to a close, she reflected on the lessons she'll carry forward. 

"I've learned a lot of lessons. I don't know if I can pick an exact one, but probably just to cherish everything and take things one step or game at a time."

Despite an emotional and tough night, Wolfe and the Golden Hawks are fueled by unfinished business. 

"It's a huge rivalry. Coming off of last year with them beating us out of the playoffs, I think it's going to be a tough one but I know we're gonna come out even harder this year." 

With a chance to rewrite last year's playoff script, Laurier now turns its focus to their highly anticipated showdown with Waterloo. 

The action starts at CIF Arena on February 26th, with puck drop scheduled for 7 pm.