WATERLOO, Ont. — The stakes could not have been higher Friday night at CIF Arena. The Waterloo Warriors needed a regulation win to secure a playoff berth — any other result, whether a regulation loss or a game that extended into overtime, would officially end their postseason hopes. In a game filled with urgency and late drama, the Warriors fell 4–2 to the Toronto Varsity Blues, seeing their playoff bid slip away in the final minutes.

Waterloo came out with the desperation of a team playing for its season and struck just 32 seconds into the contest. Liam Fedak (Oakville, Ont./Oakville Trafalgar High School) opened the scoring, finishing a quick transition play set up by Simon Rose (Renfrew, Ont./St. Josephs High School) and Cole Fraser (Quispamsis, N.B./Kennebecasis Valley High School) to ignite the home crowd and give the Warriors the exact start they needed.

The early momentum was palpable, with Waterloo skating aggressively and pressuring Toronto's defence. However, the visitors settled into the game and began to generate sustained zone time. At 15:05 of the opening period, Sean Clarke tied the game, converting a pass from Zack Smith and Rylee Hlusiak. Despite Waterloo's strong opening push, the teams entered the intermission even at 1–1 — leaving the Warriors still searching for the regulation victory they required.

Toronto grabbed its first lead early in the second period when Owen Hollingsworth scored at 3:33 off a setup from Sam Marit and Dylan Wightman. With their season hanging in the balance, Waterloo responded with one of its strongest stretches of the night, outshooting Toronto 16–12 in the middle frame. The Warriors generated quality looks from the slot and off the rush, but Toronto goaltender Nick Surzycia stood firm, preserving the one-goal advantage.

Waterloo's push paid off early in the third period. After drawing a tripping penalty, the Warriors capitalized on the power play at 3:57, as Jaxson Murray (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic Secondary School) buried his ninth of the season off assists from Emmett Pierce and Fraser to tie the game at 2–2. The building came alive once more, knowing that overtime would not be enough — only a regulation win would keep Waterloo's season alive.

With that reality, every shift carried added weight. Both teams tightened defensively through the latter half of the period, and chances were contested fiercely. As the clock ticked under two minutes, Waterloo made the necessary but risky decision to pull goaltender Matt Onuska (Waterloo, ON/) in search of the go-ahead goal. The gamble reflected the standings reality: a tie game heading to overtime would end their playoff hopes just the same as a loss.

Toronto capitalized. Owen Luik found the empty net at 18:55 to restore the visitors' lead, and Ryan Evenhuis added another with three seconds remaining to secure the 4–2 final.

Toronto finished with a slight 39–36 edge in shots, while Waterloo converted once on two power-play opportunities and successfully killed Toronto's lone man advantage. Onuska made 35 saves in the loss, while Surzycia turned aside 34 shots to earn the win.

The blacka and gold will close out their season Saturday at 4:00 PM when they welcome the TMU Bold for Senior Game. The Warriors will celebrate an outstanding class of 12 graduating student-athletes ahead of puckdrop. It will be the final OUA game for Adamo Santia (Richmond Hill, Ont./ST Theresa), Dan Murphy (Waterford, ON/), Simon Rose (Renfrew, Ont./St. Josephs High School), Nate Bierd (Calgary, AB/), Kieran Ruschienski, Cole Fraser (Quispamsis, N.B./Kennebecasis Valley High School), Liam Fedak (Oakville, Ont./Oakville Trafalgar High School), Emmet Pierce (Napanee, Ont./NDSS), Gavin Wood (Waterloo, Ont./Sir John A Macdonald), Brendan Bowie (Burlington, Ont./St. Andrews College), Marco Lopez (Grande Prairie. Alta./Centennial High School), and Matt Onuska (Waterloo, ON/), as well as student-therapist  Rachel-Lynn Fauteux.