ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The Laurier Golden Hawks men's soccer team played to a 1–1 draw against the Brock Badgers on Friday night in a match defined by intensity, momentum swings, and strong goalkeeping performances.

Laurier looked dangerous in the opening stages, with captain Sam Ghouli forcing a save in the third minute and Adriano Colangelo testing Brock's defence with back-to-back headers around the 20-minute mark.

Luigi Bello added another effort soon after, but Brock's goalkeeper stood firm to keep the game level.

The contest's physical tone escalated in the 33rd minute when Laurier's Divraj Sandhu was sent off with a red card, leaving the Hawks to play with ten men.

Despite the disadvantage, Laurier remained organized and nearly struck before halftime, as Colangelo and Bello both forced saves in stoppage time.

Early in the second half, the Hawks were rewarded for their persistence. Off a corner in the 56th minute, Alexander Wiktorek broke through with the opening goal, giving Laurier a 1–0 advantage.

Brock answered in the 73rd minute, when Lucas Medeiros converted from close range following a setup by Ibrahim Ahmat.

The Badgers pushed hard in the late stages, piling up corners and creating several dangerous headers, but Laurier goalkeeper David Carano was up to the challenge. He recorded multiple crucial stops to preserve the result, showcasing composure under pressure.

Even with a player down, the Golden Hawks maintained their defensive shape and countered with timely substitutions to keep the balance across the field.

The 1–1 result reflected both Laurier's resilience and Brock's attacking persistence in a tightly contested OUA match-up.

Up Next:
The Laurier Golden Hawks (1-1-1) take on the Badgers (2-0-1) on Sunday September 7 at Ansley Alumni Alumni Field in Waterloo.

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

For fans unable to attend, follow @WLUAthletics on X threads for live updates.