Box Score It's only fitting that a man nicknamed "The Bus" threw up the first major road block of the season for the high-flying Waterloo Warriors offense.
Windsor goaltender Parker Van Buskirk made 32 saves, and Saverio Posa scored a late third period goal to pace the visiting Lancers to a 3-2 victory over Waterloo at the Columbia Icefield Arena on Friday night.
Andrew Smith (Kitchener) and
Colin Behenna (Waterloo) scored third period goals for the Warriors, who fall to 2-1-0 on the young season. Matt Beaudoin and Paul Bezzo added tallies for the Lancers, who stay perfect at 2-0-0.
Mike Morrison (Hamilton), Van Buskirk's teammate on the Kitchener Rangers in 2008-09, made 24 saves in the loss for the Warriors.
The first period was not without its drama, as the physical play immediately escalated between the two rivals. Van Buskirk committed larceny on a number of occasions, including during an extended 5-on-3 man advantage that the Warriors couldn't capitalize on. But one thing the first frame was lacking was a score – the teams remained knotted at 0-0 after 20 minutes.
The second period saw the visitors push back a little more, and Morrison was solid early on. But with the Lancers on a power play, they finally got one past the Warriors keeper when Beaudoin neatly deflected Posa's waist-high point shot past Morrison. The Warriors had some opportunities late in the stanza, including a partial breakaway from
Riley Sonnenburg (Cambridge), but Van Buskirk held the score at 1-0 after two periods.
The Lancers extended their lead to 2-0 in the opening minutes of the third period, when Bezzo used a period of sustained Lancer pressure to find a weak spot in the coverage at the top of the slot and set up shop awaiting a pass. Kyle Hope found him, and Bezzo cranked a one-timer past Morrison's blocker to double the Windsor lead.
The Warriors came storming back though, scoring twice in less than two minutes to draw even. First, Smith rapped home a loose puck off a
Justin Larson (Buckhorn) shot that just eluded a diving Van Buskirk. Then, on the power play, Behenna smacked a rebound through the five-hole to knot the game up at 2.
However, the Lancers would not be denied on this night. With less than five minutes left in regulation, Posa let fly with a shot from the point that appeared to hit something in front before skipping past Morrison. The Warriors came close in the final minute of the game, but a bouncing puck was cleared off the goal line and the Lancers secured victory.
The Warriors will now enjoy a rare one-game weekend before turning their focus to their first road game of the season – next Friday night at York. Puck drop is slated for 7pm.
