WATERLOO, Ont. - It was a fast-paced battle at Ansley Alumni Field on Sunday afternoon, with the Laurier Golden Hawks pulling off a thrilling 3–2 win over the Western Mustangs that boosted their playoff hopes.

Both teams came out flying, matching each other's intensity early on. Laurier struck first in the 24th minute when Luigi Bello buried a finish inside the box, set up by a crisp feed from Alexander Wiktorek.

Just five minutes later, the Hawks doubled their advantage as Maksym Telishchuk connected on a clinical strike, assisted by Joseph Carabetta. Laurier carried a deserved 2–0 lead into halftime after controlling much of the possession and generating the more dangerous chances.

Western responded strongly in the second half, applying constant pressure and quickly clawing back into the game. In the 53rd minute, Ennis Bernaus pulled one back for the Mustangs, converting on a delivery from Filip Arbutina.

Six minutes later, Western equalized when Daniel Oshana finished off a setup by Alex West, silencing the Laurier crowd and swinging momentum firmly in the visitors' favor.

The match turned into a back-and-forth contest, with both teams trading fouls, cards, and chances. Laurier nearly regained the lead in the 68th minute after a penalty kick was awarded, but Adriano Colangelo's attempt was stopped by Western goalkeeper Francesco Caputi, keeping the score locked at 2–2.

With seconds left in regulation, the game's decisive moment arrived. A late push from Laurier saw the ball fall to Telishchuk, who fired home his second of the match in the dying moments, sealing a dramatic 3–2 victory for the Golden Hawks.

Laurier's relentless energy and ability to withstand Western's second-half surge proved to be the difference. With Bello and Telishchuk leading the attack, and David Carano making key saves to preserve the win, the Golden Hawks walked away with an unforgettable result in front of their home supporters.

Head Coach Mario Halapir shared his pride in the team's performance and their result.

"We got the three points we needed today, which was good," he said, while also praising first-year standout Maksym Telishchuk.

"I think he has a bright future ahead of him. It's just a matter of time, as he gets more comfortable with this level of play, he'll only get better and better."

With securing the full three points, Laurier moved itself into the sixth and final playoff spot in the OUA West division with five games to go - one point ahead of seventh-place Windsor and just two points behind Guelph and McMaster, who are tied for fourth.

Up Next:
The Golden Hawks (2-4-1) take on the McMaster Marauders (2-1-3) on Friday September 26.
 
Kickoff is at 8:15 pm at Ron Joyce Stadium and will be live-streamed free on OUA.tv