In a closely contested pre-season matchup, the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawk Men’s Hockey team fell 1-0 to the York University Lions on Sept. 18 at a home game located in the Sun Life Financial Arena. The game’s lone goal came from York’s no. 19 Forward Brock McLeod, a fourth-year human resource management major, who found the net unassisted just over five minutes into the third period.
Both teams battled intensely throughout the game, leading to 12 total penalties for offenses such as hooking, misconduct and roughing. Laurier faced significant adversity, finding itself shorthanded for over 10 minutes. However, the penalty kill (PK) units rose to the occasion, showcasing impressive resilience by preventing any goals during those crucial power plays.
“I really like how our PK did tonight. There were a lot of guys sacrificing, blocking shots, doing whatever we could to help our goalie and keep the score low. So, I give a lot of credit to our defensemen in our PK units tonight,” said co-captain and forward no. 18 Sam Rhodes.
Despite the strong defensive showing, the Golden Hawks struggled to generate offensive opportunities against York’s relentless pressure. Rookie goaltender no. 30 Stephen Giansante, a first-year economics student, was instrumental in keeping Laurier in contention, recording an impressive 44 saves, which was more than double the efforts of York’s goaltender, Matt Tovell. Giansante’s performance was nearly flawless under constant pressure, but even he could not prevent McLeod’s solitary goal.
Reflecting on the game, Rhodes acknowledged the challenges faced by the team and the importance of growth during this early part of the season.
“They’ve always given us a good battle in the past. It’s always a hard-nosed game. All credit to them,” Rhodes said. “They put a lot of pressure on our goalie, Stephen Giansante. He really held on to it for us and gave us a chance to win at the end of the day.”
Rhodes also noted the potential of the younger players, emphasizing the need for continued development as they adapt to the rigors of university hockey. “The younger guys this year are all really skilled. Right now, we’re just helping them adopt their play to university hockey, and they’re getting better every day,” he said.
Looking forward, Rhodes stressed the need to enhance the team’s offensive strategy. “We need to put a focus on mainly our offensive game. From our first pre-season game to this one, we’ve adjusted our defensive play a bit. Now I think it’s time to switch zones and focus more on keeping second chances alive, getting plays off the rush and just getting more pucks in the net,” he said.
The Golden Hawks prepare for their regular season home opener against the Western Mustangs on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Sun Life Financial Arena in Waterloo, eager to build on their experience and improve their performance in the upcoming games.
