For almost 56 minutes, the Waterloo Warriors men's hockey team weathered the storm from the Guelph Gryphons, setting the stage to snap their visitors' five-game winning streak. But the Gryphons did just enough in the last four minutes and extra time to grab two points.

Michael Hasson scored with less than four minutes left to send the game into overtime, and Jon-Thomas MacDonald scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Gryphons a hard-fought 2-1 shootout victory over the Warriors at the Columbia Icefield Arena on Friday night.

Andy Smith (Rosetown/), who shaved his head in the first intermission as part of the Think Pink cancer awareness campaign, scored the only Waterloo goal in the loss. Despite earning the single point for the shootout loss, the Warriors alternated wins and losses for the eighth game in a row. Their record now sits at 7-4-1, while the Gryphons move to 8-4-1 on the season.

The Warriors loss also robbed Keaton Hartigan (Kitchener/) of yet another heroic performance, as the fifth-year veteran made 45 saves in the loss. At the other end of the ice, Cambridge native and former Kitchener Ranger Brandon Maxwell was far less busy, making 26 saves in the win. The victory was Maxwell's sixth straight since becoming Guelph's starter.

After a scoreless first period, Smith gave the Warriors a lead just less than five minutes after the intermission ceremonies that saw him and five teammates shave their heads as part of the Think Pink festivities. The goal was assisted by Justin Larson (Buckhorn/) and Joe Underwood (Canton/), two other Warriors with new hairstyles.

The middle frame was also marred with a number of penalties, as both teams had chances on the man advantage. However, the Warriors escaped with the 1-0 lead after 40 minutes.

The third period didn't see a single penalty called, and it looked for the longest time that there wouldn't be a single goal either. But Hasson beat Hartigan at the 16:23 mark of the final frame to pull the Gryphons even.

After overtime solved nothing, the Warriors couldn't find a way to beat Maxwell in the shootout – the Gryphons keeper turned away Larson, Behenna and Jarred Parent (West Montrose/), while MacDonald scored on Guelph's first attempt to give the visitors the extra point.

The Warriors will now enjoy a rare weekend off as they prepare for their next game action, travelling to London to take on the defending OUA West division champion Western Mustangs at 7pm on Friday, November 23. The Warriors will then return home a night later to host the Brock Badgers at the Columbia Icefield arena at 7:30pm.

Notes: Both clubs went 0-for-3 on the power play…Joining Smith, Underwood and Larson under the shears in the first intermission were Brett Mackie (Whitby/), Matt Amadio (Sault Ste. Marie/), and Micky Sartoretto (Sault Ste. Marie/)…The loss is Waterloo's first in five games decided by overtime or shootout this season