Perhaps all the Waterloo Warriors needed was a little inspiration from one of the program's all-time greats.
On a night when they honoured the 1980 All-Canadian selection of Warriors Hall-of-famer Don Langlois, Waterloo snapped a four-game losing skid with a 5-3 victory over the visiting Nipissing Lakers on Saturday night at the Columbia Icefield Arena.
The victory salvaged a weekend split for the Warriors, after falling to the fifth-ranked Queen's Gaels 6-2 on Friday. A night later, the black and gold scored three times in the final period – including the game-winner from Nick Halagian (St. Catharines/Powell River Kings, BCHL) with just under 7 minutes to play – to earn their first victory since October 12.
Cole potted the game-tying goal in the opening minute of the third for a two-point night. The Warriors also got goals from Michael Morgan (Scarborough/North York Rangers, OJHL), Zac Coulter (Owen Sound/Elmira Sugar Kings, GOJHL), and Cole Murphy (Cole Harbour/Pictou County Crushers, MJHL), while blueliners Mike Moffat (Waterloo/Kingston Frontenacs, OHL) and Connor Lovie (London/Cochrane Crunch, NOJHL) each chipped in with a pair of assists.
Julian Sime (Mississauga/North Bay Battalion, OHL) made his return after missing three games with an injury, and he kicked aside 17 shots for the victory between the Waterloo pipes. Matt Donnelly, Taylor Brown, and Danny Desrocher scored for the visitors, while Talor Joseph stopped 10 of the 15 shots fired his way.
The Warriors looked in firm control of the contest as it reached the midway point, thanks to Morgan's opening goal and a wrister from Coulter early in the second. But when Donnelly's point shot beat a screened Sime with just over 9 minutes left in the second, it sparked an outburst from the visitors. Brown tied the game on a funny bounce, and Desrocher cashed in on a shorthanded breakaway, completing a three-goal eruption in just 5:12.
But Cole's marker just 47 seconds into the final frame knotted the score at 3-3, setting the stage for a tense finish. But it was once again Cole who helped create the winner, as his gorgeous one-touch feed of a Lovie pass went between his legs to an open Halagian, who squeezed it past Joseph for the game winner. The Lakers had one more flurry, but Murphy's empty-netter salted away the 5-3 victory for the Warriors.
It was a much-needed victory, since the Warriors were coming off a disappointing third period against one of the league's top teams. Waterloo was snakebitten through two periods against the Gaels on Friday night, as Queen's carried a narrow 2-1 lead through 40 minutes on the strength of first-period markers from captain Spencer Abraham and Slater Doggett.
Cole's power-play rebound was the only shot to find the back of the net for Waterloo through two periods, despite a number of chances - including a Morgan penalty shot, in which he beat goaltender Justin Fazio but not the goal post.
Abraham scored an early power play goal in the third, and the Warriors answered moments later when Jacob Cascagnette (Kitchener/Ottawa 67's, OHL) whacked in his first career USPORTS goal to cut the deficit to 3-2. But the Gaels wore down the hosts in a physical third period, scoring the game's last three goals in the back half of the third period.
Trevor Martin (Ardrossan/Calgary Hitmen, WHL) made 21 saves for the Warriors, while Fazio responded with 29 saves for the visiting Gaels.
The Warriors will now re-acquaint themselves with their OUA West division foes, as they travel down the 401 to visit the Western Mustangs and Windsor Lancers on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3, respectively.
