The Waterloo Warriors look like they've finally turned a corner as they head into the December exam break. And in the process, they helped turn their head coach into the winningest bench boss in program history.
A first-period goal from Nick Chyzowski (Kamloops/Kamloops Blazers, WHL) held up, and Julian Sime (Mississauga/North Bay Battalion, OHL) stopped 33 shots for his first career USPORTS shutout, as the Warriors wrapped up the 2018 portion of their schedule with a 1-0 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues at Varsity Arena on Saturday night.
The victory was head coach Brian Bourque's 202nd behind the Warriors bench, surpassing the previous mark of 201 held by Don McKee, who helmed the black and gold from 1985 to 1998. And if their recent play is any indication, Bourque seems primed to add to that total – the Warriors enter the holiday break with two straight victories, and a 3-1-1 record in their last five contests.
In many ways, the record-breaker on Saturday night was vintage Bourque: a 1-0 victory that featured sound adherence to the defensive systems on which he's built his reputation over the past 14 seasons behind the Warriors bench. Toronto outshot Waterloo 33-23 on the night, but the Warriors kept the Blues to the outside and limited their chances, while Sime took care of everything that came his way.
Waterloo opened the scoring just shy of the 10-minute mark of the opening period, thanks in part to a tremendous play by rookie Jack Scanlan (Penetanguishene/Stratford Warriors, GOJHL). After Chyzowski won a puck battle in his own zone, Michael Morgan (Scarborough/North York Rangers, OJHL) fed Scanlan streaking down the left wing. Scanlan fought off a checker and deftly slid a one-handed pass to Chyzowski, who zipped it over the shoulder of Toronto keeper Alex Bishop.
The Warriors maintained their lead throughout a second period that featured a couple of big Sime stops, and a Blues goal that was disallowed due to a dislodged net. Toronto's best chance to tie the game came when they rang a shot off the crossbar with under four minutes to play in the third, as the Warriors skated away with the one-goal victory.
Waterloo will now enjoy an extended break over the holidays and exam period, before renewing their season with a two-game road trip against the Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay in early January.
