Box Score Matt Kennedy (Oro Medonte) had seen this all before.

He'd seen UQTR goaltender Guillaume Nadeau steal the show in the first four minutes of overtime, and he'd seen his own netminder, Mike Morrison (Hamilton), steal it for the sixty minutes prior to that. He'd also seen three different pucks – one off his own stick – hit iron behind Nadeau. So when Kennedy had a chance to end the game in the extra period, you could hardly blame him for leaning into his shot just a little harder than usual.

Kennedy rapped home a rebound, his second goal of the night, on an overtime power play to give the Warriors a massive 3-2 win over the UQTR Patriotes at the Columbia Icefield Arena on Saturday night.

Kennedy and Justin Larson (Buckhorn) notched three points apiece for the Warriors, who won their second game in a row to move to 6-6-1 on the season. Meanwhile, the Patriotes, ranked 5^th in the nation, saw their four-game winning streak snapped as their record fell to 9-1-1.

Morrison was outstanding for the Warriors between the pipes, turning aside 37 shots for his second straight victory. Nadeau was nearly as good for the Patriotes, making 37 stops of his own in the loss.

The game marked the first time since the 2013 Queen's Cup that the Patriotes visited Waterloo, and both teams came out of the gates like a title was at stake. The visitors opened up the scoring when Billy Lacasse converted on a quick passing play, but it was not without its controversy – the puck looked to have cleared the Waterloo zone just before the goal, but the play was ruled onside.

The Warriors weren't discouraged by the early deficit or the circumstances surrounding it, as Larson drew them equal with a heavy wrist shot that just snuck through Nadeau and barely over the goal line. Just over three minutes later, and after yeoman's work behind the net by Anthony Tapper (Marmora), Kennedy one-timed a gorgeous backhand feed from Larson over Nadeau's glove hand for a 2-1 Waterloo lead after 20 minutes.

UQTR continued to pressure in the second, but Morrison made save after save – including an unbelievable diving blocker stab to maintain Waterloo's 2-1 lead. However, he couldn't hold the fort forever, as Tommy Giroux converted a one-timer top shelf to equalize the score midway through the second.

With just under a minute to play in the second, a Brett Mackie (Whitby) head-checking penalty set off a large melee that saw five players – three of them Warriors – assessed 10-minute misconducts. One of those penalized was Waterloo captain and defensive workhorse Joe Underwood (Canton), so the Warriors would be forced to roll only four defencemen for the bulk of the third period.

The penalties seemed to dictate Waterloo's game in the first half of the third frame, as they put all their attention and will into defensive zone coverage and shot blocking. Once the penalty boxes emptied and each team had a full bench, the pace evened out and each team failed on late opportunities to win the game in regulation.

The Warriors looked like the more dangerous club in overtime, and only Nadeau's heroics (and a Chris Chappell (Pickering) shot off the goal post) kept the game knotted early in the extra frame. With just over 90 seconds remaining in the 4-on-4 session, UQTR captain Tommy Tremblay was sent off for hooking Colin Behenna (Waterloo), and the Waterloo power play went to work.

Using four forwards on the 4-on-3 advantage, Chappell dragged the puck to the goalmouth and created a fire drill in the UQTR slot area. Larson's rebound chance was kicked out by Nadeau, but it landed right at the feet of Kennedy, who slammed home the emotional game-winner.

It was a dramatic way for the Warriors to close out their first half home schedule, as they'll head to a four-game road trip to end the fall semester. The first leg of the trip will be in Kingston, as the Warriors face off against RMC next Friday night at 7:00 pm.

Notes: The Warriors went 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Patriotes went 0-for-2…Tapper had two assists, giving him three points in two games since returning from injury…Waterloo played with only five defenceman and 13 forwards, as Jeff Einhorn (Red Deer) was shelved once again due to injury…Warriors Joe Underwood (Canton), Ryan Hanes (Kanata), Mitch Elliot (Prince George), Mike Moffat (Waterloo) and CIF P.A. announcer Jay Shaw had their heads shaved in the first intermission as part of the Think Pink cancer awareness and fundraising campaign.