WATERLOO, Ont. - Co-captain
Alban Osdautaj scored the penalty kick in the second half, and goalkeeper
David Carano recorded a clean sheet as the Laurier Golden Hawks defeated the McMaster Marauders 1-0 on Friday night under the lights at Ansley Alumni Field.
The victory snapped Laurier's two-game losing streak and ended McMaster's three-game winning streak. It also improved the Golden Hawks' record to 4-3-1.
McMaster applied pressure immediately, but
David Carano made a pair of saves during the opening two minutes to keep the match scoreless.
Laurier created its first dangerous opportunity in the eighth minute when
Landon Paton delivered a ball toward
Maksym Telishchuk inside the penalty area. Telishchuk attempted to connect with a jumping header, but McMaster goalkeeper Ethan Cagalj secured the ball.
The Golden Hawks continued to create chances as the half progressed.
Marco Frasca sent a corner kick toward Telishchuk in the 25th minute, but his header went just over the net.
Laurier's defence was equally effective at the opposite end.
Arber Osdautaj made a sliding tackle in the 29th minute to break up a possible McMaster opportunity before
Arjan Khela provided a pair of clearances four minutes later.
Cagalj came off his line in the 34th minute to reach the ball ahead of Laurier's
Yusef Rehman. Cagalj made another save in the 38th minute, stopping a low shot from the right side of the penalty area.
Laurier entered halftime with a 4-2 advantage in shots and a 2-0 edge in shots on goal, but the match remained scoreless.
Carano made another save early in the second half before
Alban Osdautaj stopped a McMaster attack just outside Laurier's penalty area in the 49th minute.
The Golden Hawks nearly broke the tie on consecutive set pieces. A shot following
Alban Osdautaj's corner kick went over the net in the 60th minute, while another free kick in the 67th minute was cleared by McMaster.
The Marauders produced one of their best opportunities in the 63rd minute when a header from a corner kick appeared headed toward the net. Laurier defender
Landon Paton cleared the ball just before it crossed the goal line.
Laurier eventually found the breakthrough when
Evan Dennis was brought down while dribbling inside the McMaster penalty area, drawing a penalty kick.
Co-captain
Alban Osdautaj took the ensuing penalty kick and placed it into the bottom-left corner to give Laurier a 1-0 lead. He then ran to the corner of the field where Laurier fans all celebrated the goal with him and his teammates.
The Golden Hawks' defence protected the advantage during the closing minutes. McMaster sent a shot over the net in the 87th minute before earning a free kick and corner during stoppage time.
Carano made a final save following the corner, while Laurier's defence cleared the remaining opportunities to secure the clean sheet.
Laurier head coach
Mario Halapir, although striving for perfection and having some feedback for his team's performance, proudly said, "I've got to give them credit; the 3 points were massive…This was a pivotal game for us in the season."
Osdautaj, the goalscorer, was very proud of the team's resiliency and determination.
"We had a great game… Just that fight and winning every ball, and we didn't give up from minute one to minute 90".
Up Next:
The Golden Hawks remain at home to face their local rivals, the Waterloo Warriors (4-3-1), in the Battle of Waterloo on Thursday, October 8.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. at Ansley Alumni Field.
