A role-model athlete, playing the hero role. Off the back of two tough losses at the hands of the Windsor Lancers and the Brock Badgers, the Warriors sent the faithful inside Columbia Icefield home happy Friday night, with a thrilling 4-3 victory in overtime over the York Lions. 

After missing the first nine games of the season due to injury, Simon Rose (Renfrew, Ont./St. Josephs High School) scored the game winning goal, delivering an important spark of offence in his season debut, at the most important time; 3:18 into the extra frame. 

With the Warriors sustaining pressure in the offensive zone through most of the first five minutes, they found themselves down 1-0 with a hill to climb. By the halfway mark of the first, the trio of Jaxson Murray (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic Secondary School), Jaden Goldie (Owen Sound, Ont./St Mary's High School), and Cory Jewitt (Clinton, Ont./St Annes Catholic Secondary School) looked dangerous below the circles, and their strong presence was complimented by the physicality and quick puck movement of Kieran Ruscheinski (Calgary, Alta./Notre Dame High School). 

Even with an unfortunate slashing call going the way of Nathanial Bierd (Calgary, Alta./Springbank Community High School), and the Lions earning a late man advantage, the Warriors carried the momentum on the offense, outshooting the Lions 11-6 at the end of the first. 

The second period kicked off right where the Warriors left off; hemming the Lions into their defensive zone. Four and a half minutes in, Jordan Hendry (White Rock, B.C./Elgin Park Secondary), demonstrating his smooth transition game, got the puck off the glass to centre, and Emmet Pierce's (Napanee, Ont./NDSS) strong play on the boards sent Bierd and Max Monette (Banff, Alta./Edge School) in on a two on one rush. Bierd's heads-up ability and patience with the puck, gave him space to curl, drag, and snipe one past the Lions goaltender for his third goal of the campaign. The Warriors…and Bierd…deserved to tie it, and they did. 

Past the halfway point, the Warriors brilliantly moved the puck into the slot with quick passing from the corners. Jaden Reyers (Komoka, Ont./Victus Academy) and Murray took advantage of the open space out front, but couldn't find the back of the net. 

In the final minute of the period, after a brilliant play by the Lions to keep the puck in at the line, they found themselves in tight with goaltender Mathias Onuska (Waterloo, Ont./Ressurection), forcing him to stretch across the goalmouth on his chest. The puck found itself trickling toward the line, when out of nowhere - Rose, the season debutant - saved the day; batting the puck off the goal line with his glove. The score remained 1-1 after forty minutes. It was clear Rose missed being out there in the key moments late in periods, battling at the net front with his goaltender and being eager to make the difference; and this play was no exception. 

At the start of the third, the Lions hard forechecking earned them an opportunity to cash in - and they did - with a hard one-timer from the point to take a 2-1 lead at the six-minute mark. The Warriors found themselves in a hole once again, despite exceptional physicality and dangerous zone entries. 

Around the halfway point, the Warriors battled hard to draw a penalty, and head to the man advantage; where their skill and finesse was put on full display. Entering the zone cleanly, Bierd found space in the slot to attack, and the deflected shot found its way onto Murray's tape in the corner along the goal line. He threaded the needle from the sharpest of angles to tie the game at two; Murray's fourth goal of the season, levelling even with Goldie for the team lead in the category. 

Just over five minutes later, the Lions made good use of a second-chance effort along the half-wall to catch the Warriors in a tough position defensively. The puck was centered into the slot, with little Onuska could do about it. York was back in front once again. 

The narrative of the evening mirrored that of Rose's triumphant return to the lineup; being down, but never, ever, giving up in climbing your way back. 

62 seconds later, the score was knotted at three; and who else but the line of Monette, Bierd, and Pierce to get it done. Pierce, while holding the zone at the line, dished it off to Hendry, who fed an open Monette in the mid-slot; firing it short side with authority, for the Warriors' third goal, and Monette's first of the season. 

Just like that, for the first time this season, the Warriors would head to overtime. 

The Warriors pressed early in the extra frame, with Monette, Bierd, and Murray looking ever-so dangerous and dynamic as always, and the strong frame of Pierce kept the Lions from challenging Onuska. A close chance arose for the Warriors three minutes in off a brilliant clearance from the crease of Onuska; Goldie fed a speedy Jesse Fishman (Thornhill, Ont./Blyth Academy Downsview) who just slightly missed his mark.  

And then came the rush from Rose. Regrouping the puck in Warrior territory, he saw the open ice and took it. Using his exceptional edgework, he cut around a Lions defenceman on his backhand, drove across the goalmouth while taking their goaltender with him, and elevated the puck perfectly in the top corner. "A poetic ending" as colour commentator Jay Shaw described, Rose made his moment count. A moment which gave the Warriors their first overtime win of the campaign, and a narrative to inspire a group who battle for each other; like only Warriors can.