After a tough start to their weekend slate in Montreal, the Waterloo Warriors bounced back to claim a pair of valuable points on their first road trip of the season.
Cam Nicoll (Loretto/Newmarket Hurricanes, OJHL) scored twice, including the overtime winner, as the Warriors defeated the Concordia Stingers 3-2 on Saturday night at the Ed Meagher arena. The victory helped the black and gold earn a split in Quebec, after dropping a 6-1 decision on Friday night to McGill.
The weekend split finished off a grueling stretch of OUA East crossover play for the Warriors, who move to 2-2-1 on the season. Zac Coulter (Owen Sound/Elmira Sugar Kings, GOJHL) led the way offensively on the weekend with a goal against McGill, and a pair of helpers in the Saturday victory over Concordia. Markson Bechtold (Strathmore/Saskatoon Blades, WHL) notched an assist in each contest, while both Warriors goaltenders looked sharp on the trip – Julian Sime (Mississauga/North Bay Battalion, OHL) made many highlight-reel saves in a 32-stop losing effort on Friday, and Trevor Martin (Ardrossan/Calgary Hitmen, OHL) was outstanding in turning away 41 Stingers shots on Saturday.
Waterloo 1, McGill 6
McGill used a big second period to pull away from the Warriors on Friday night, as the hosts scored three times in a span of 11:33 in the middle frame.
McGill's Guillaume Gauthier scored twice and added an assist, while Jasmin Boutet, Christophe Lalonde, and Ryan Penny all registered two-point nights. Coulter scored Waterloo's lone goal of the night on a beauty solo effort in the first period, as Bechtold and Nick Chyzowski (Kamloops/Kamloops Blazers, WHL) drew assists.
Not much separated the Warriors and McGill through 20 minutes, as the hosts held slight leads on the scoreboard (2-1) and the shot clock (12-10). But McGill outshot the Warriors 17-6 in the second stanza, and, by the time the puck was dropped to start the third, Waterloo trailed 5-1.
The Warriors were unable to capitalize on some power play chances in the third, and Gauthier's second goal of the game rounded out the scoring for the hosts.
Waterloo 3, Concordia 2 (OT)
A night later, the Warriors put forth a much more complete effort against a talented and fast Concordia team.
To say the Warriors were quick out of the gate is an understatement – Keigan Goetz (New Hamburg/Halfiax Mooseheads, QMJHL) shoveled home a puck on the doorstep just 13 seconds into the game to give Waterloo a lead. After outshooting the Stingers 22-11 in the opening frame, the Warriors finally extended their lead when Nicoll counted on a power play to make it 2-0 for the visitors just 1:01 into the second period.
But the Stingers clawed their way back, beginning with a Bradley Lalonde goal just under two minutes later, to cut the Waterloo lead back to one. Then, midway through the second, Pascal Corbeil scored the equalizer for the Stingers to make the score 2-2 after 40 minutes.
A tight-checking third was highlighted by some outstanding saves from Martin, and the score remained deadlocked at 2-2 after regulation time. Nicoll was whistled for hooking early in the overtime, but Martin again stood on his head – including two game-saving pad stops as the penalty expired. With Nicoll out of the box and the play at 4-on-4, the captain took a drop pass from Nick Halagian (St. Catharines/Powell River Kings, BCHL) and snuck a wrister through the five-hole to win it for the Warriors.
Waterloo will now wrap up their three-game road trip much closer to home, as they travel to face the Guelph Gryphons (4-1-1) on Wednesday, October 23 at 7:30 pm. Then, the Warriors return home to host the 1-3-1 Brock Badgers on Saturday, October 26 at 7pm.
