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University of Waterloo Athletics

Dan Walker makes a move in tight
Courtney Caird
3
Windsor WSR
4
Winner Waterloo WAT
Windsor WSR
3
Final
4
Waterloo WAT
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
Windsor WSR 1 2 0 3
Waterloo WAT 0 3 1 4

Game Recap: Men's Hockey |

Warriors open new year with split against No. 7 Lancers

After suffering through a lengthy losing streak to end the first half of the season, an extended break over the holidays was just what the doctor ordered for the Waterloo Warriors men's hockey team.

The Warriors put a stop to a nine-game skid in their first game of 2023, as they topped the Windsor Lancers 4-3 on Friday night. It was part of a hard-earned split for the Warriors against the seventh ranked team in the nation, as the Lancers took the rematch in a tight 2-1 affair on Saturday night.

In the first game of the weekend doubleheader, the Lancers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead and held a 17-5 advantage on the shot clock after 20 minutes. But Warriors goaltender Dan Murphy (Waterford, ON) was outstanding in the opening frame, holding his team in the game as Waterloo found its legs.

The Lancers extended their lead to 2-0 on the first of two goals by captain Mason Kohn, but the visitors bounced back in a big way – first, Dan Walker (Sudbury, ON) ripped one past Windsor netminder Nathan Torchia, and Chase Campbell (Waterloo, ON) also found twine just 1:51 later to knot the game at 2-2. Kohn responded to give the Lancers back their lead, but Jack Phibbs (Hagersville, ON) zipped a wrister off the rush late in the second to tie the game 3-3.

As much as the Lancers carried the play in the first period, the ice tilted just as far the other way in favour of the Warriors in the third. Waterloo outshot Windsor 14-4 in the final stanza, and were finally rewarded with just over six minutes to play when Brendan Bowie (Burlington, ON) whacked home a rebound on the power play to give the hosts their first lead of the night. The Warriors were able to hold on despite a frantic sequence in the game's closing seconds – the Lancers thought they'd tied the game with an extra attacker on the ice, but the would-be tying goal was waved off, as it didn't cross the line before the final buzzer.

Murphy claimed the win with 33 saves on the night, while Jacob Cascagnette (Kitchener, ON) added two assists for the Warriors.

A night later, Murphy and Torchia stole the show in a hard-nosed matchup that featured highlight-reel saves at both ends. Anthony Stefano opened the scoring with a beauty for the Lancers, but Walker responded with an unbelievable solo effort: the big man drove down the left-wing side and cut in front, deeking Torchia out of position and sliding it home on the backhand to knot things up at 1-1.

The game stayed that way until late in the third, primarily due to the efforts of Murphy and Torchia. The Waterloo netminder made several ten-bell post-to-post saves in the second period, while Torchia flashed the glove on several occasions to keep the Warriors at bay. With just over five minutes to play in the third, Windsor's Hunter Holmes took a cross-ice feed and scored the eventual game-winner, giving the Lancers a 2-1 win and a split of the doubleheader.

Murphy was once again spectacular, stopping 33 shots in defeat. Torchia made 29 saves for Windsor, while Cascagnette and Nick King (Waterloo, ON) added helpers on the Walker tally.

The Warriors now sit at 5-12-1, and will look to get back into the win column when they host the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Friday, January 13. Puck drop is slated for 7pm at the Columbia Icefield Arena.
 
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