The soccer leg of the Battle of Waterloo series took place this past weekend, with games held at Wilfrid Laurier Universityโs Ansley Alumni Field on Sept. 13 at 8:15 p.m. for the men and 6 p.m. for the womenโs matchup. The second round of games were held at the University of Waterlooโs Warrior Field on Sept. 15 at 3:15 p.m. for the men and 1 p.m. for the womenโs matchup. ย
A fairly recent tradition, dating back to the 2017-18 sports season, the Battle of Waterloo series is an annual competition for OUA-regulated games between UW and Laurier in various sports. The winner at the end of the series is awarded the Battle of Waterloo trophy. Currently, the six-season clash stands with both teams tied at three seasons apiece.
Evan Colborne, the manager of marketing and communications at Laurier Athletics, touched on the impact the series has had on each school. โItโs a fun rivalry. I think itโs only natural weโre going to have a rivalry being on the same street,โ he said.
Four soccer games in total took place for the series โ a womenโs and menโs match on Sept. 13 and Sept. 15. Intensity was high immediately into the first half, with persistent pressure from the Golden Hawks on the Warriorโs defensive line โ despite this, the first half ended scoreless.
Both teams had held their own heading into the second half. The Golden Hawksโ strong possession game set up forward Sasha Marikano for a well placed turn in the 45th minute of the fixture.
However, the Warriors responded quickly, tying the game after pressuring the Golden Hawk defense. Using this momentum to their advantage, the Warriors scored again, establishing a dangerous lead being up 2-1, now nearing the end of the match. Laurier refused to give up, and first-year midfielder Mia Aguiar tied the game in the 77th minute. The final whistle blew and the first game of the series ended in a tie. After a short intermission, the Golden Hawksโ menโs team began warming up for their matchup in hopes to even the score.
The second half started with a 0-0 tie on the board. Both teams were motivated by their fierce determination that held throughout the game, resulting in a very physical match โ with multiple fouls and yellow cards being given out. Nearing the end of the half, defender Andre Chiechi set up Alex Wiktorek with a game-changing through ball, allowing Wiktorek to place the ball in the back of the net and seal Laurierโs victory. ย
To close the series, the women and menโs teams faced off again at the University of Waterlooโs Warrior field at 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. respectively. The Golden Hawks applied beneficial foundational skills, such as consistent ball movement and passing chemistry, from their prior games leading up to this match.
Laurierโs strong and organized backline set an example for the rest of the team. Movement from the defensive line allowed the ball to make its way to the Warriorsโ defensive line where forward Annick Lariviere persisted in pressuring Waterlooโs defense, resulting in a goal for the Hawksโ. Despite increasing effort from the Warriors, Laurier was able to protect and secure their victory. As the womenโs team was able to emulate their key fundamentals in their second match, the menโs team carried their intensity, possession and physicality into this game.
Both teams contributed to this physical game. The Warriors tried to break Laurierโs defense, however an impressive performance from defender Arjan Khela kept them from breaking.
Laurier came out on top, using their intensity to their advantage, resulting in three goals against the Warriors. Leonardo Takahashi established the lead in the first half, paving the way for midfielder Sam Ghouli and defender Andre Chiechi to do the same late in the second.
โ[The Battle of Waterloo] is a great way to come together and have a little fun competition and jeering at one another,โ Colborne said. All four games were met with energy from the crowds. Many supporters for each team filled the bleachers.
โI think we see an uptick in attendance at games where itโs an official Battle of Waterloo game,โ Colborne said. โWe as a marketing team want to play it up and really make it a fun game that people circle on their calendars months out.โ
The Battle of Waterloo trophy currently resides in Golden Hawk territory after their victory in the series last year.