The Waterloo Warriors faced off against the Laurier Golden Hawks today in another chapter of their heated University Avenue rivalry.

The first period was a defensive masterclass on both ends of the ice. Both teams brought relentless forechecking, matched by tactical defensive setups that kept the puck out of dangerous areas. Laurier applied consistent pressure, but Warriors goaltender Matt Onuska (Waterloo, ON) stood tall, turning aside every shot to keep the period scoreless.

The second period saw Laurier continue their shot heavy strategy, but it was Waterloo who struck first. A costly turnover deep in the Golden Hawks' zone allowed Brendan Bowie (Burlington, ON) to capitalize, sending a precise top shelf shot into the net and giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Later in the period, the Warriors extended their advantage. Liam Fedak (Oakville, ON) found the back of the net after Jaxson Murray (Waterloo, ON) and Sam McKinney (Fredericton, NB) disrupted the defense with chaos in the slot, making it 2-0 heading into the final frame.

Laurier maintained their aggressive offensive push in the third period, but the Warriors stayed composed and added to their lead. Jesse Fishman (Thornhill, ON) received a clean pass in the slot from Jaxson Murray (Waterloo, ON) and Jordan Hendry (Surrey, BC), firing a perfectly timed shot to make it 3-0. The Warriors sealed their victory with a fourth goal as Sam McKinney (Fredericton, NB) forced a turnover at the blue line, setting up Tate Popple (Brandon, MB) for a top corner snipe that brought the score to 4-0.

With a stellar performance from Onuska in net and contributions across the lineup, the Warriors skated away with a decisive shutout victory. They'll look to carry this momentum into tomorrow's matchup against Ontario Tech at 7:00 p.m.