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Traditionally, seven is considered a lucky number. But on Saturday night, the Waterloo Warriors' lucky number was eight.
Colin Behenna (Waterloo) notched three points, and captain Joe Underwood (Canton) scored the eventual game winner in the second as the Warriors sunk the Nipissing Lancers 4-2 for their eighth consecutive victory.
Rookies Daniel Perigo (Truro) and Cam Nicoll (Loretto) also scored for Waterloo, who improved to 12-8-0 with the win. Backup goaltender Chris Hurry (Summerland) made 36 saves, as Mike Morrison (Hamilton) got a much-deserved night off.
Dale Deon and Jim McDowell scored for Nipissing, who saw their record fall to 8-8-3. Kirk Rafuse was saddled with the loss in between the pipes, turning aside 31 shots in defeat.
The scoreless first period was marred with a steady parade of minor penalties, but neither team could capitalize on their power play chances. Waterloo finally cracked the goose egg early in the second, when Perigo's seeing-eye wrister found the back of the net to put the Warriors up 1-0.
Later in the second, Nicoll converted a pretty feed from Brett Mackie (Whitby), and Underwood hammered one home on the man advantage to put the Warriors comfortably ahead 3-0. But the Lakers weren't going away, and they earned a pair of goals to cut their deficit to 3-2 after forty minutes.
The Lakers kept coming in the third, but Hurry was able to hold them at bay. Waterloo salted it away late in the third when Matt Amadio (Sault Ste. Marie) made a gorgeous move and fed Behenna, who made no mistake.
The Warriors improved to 9-2-0 at home, and they'll look to continue that trend next Friday when they host the York Lions. Puck drop is slated for 7pm on Friday, January 22 at the Columbia Icefield Arena,