On September 22, the Varsity Blues men’s hockey team beat the Laurier University Golden Hawks 4–2 in their final home exhibition match. It was a rough game for the Blues, but first-year goaltender Jordan Fairlie was a standout performer, earning the team their second win. 

What happened 

The Blues were on track for a rough match from the start. The Hawks had defeated the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks 5–1 two days prior and clearly wanted to secure another dominant win. The Blues withstood a few major falls and cross-checks, but they were still able to maintain a good defence — Fairlie finished the game with 33 saves. 

Around 13 minutes into the game, Blues captain Cole Purboo scored a power-play goal assisted by defensemen Nick Grima and Ryan Barbosa to put the Blues ahead. Soon, second-year Blues forward Graham Dickerson scored another goal, with another assist from Barbosa and forward Julian Recine. As the first period ended, the Varsity Blues held a two-goal lead.

As the second period began, both teams came out strong and accumulated four penalties in the whole period for slashing, hooking, and tripping. The Hawks scored a power-play goal to cut the deficit early in the second; however, the Blues soon scored their third goal in the game as rookie defenseman Aiden Reeves buried the puck in the net — his first goal as a Varsity Blue — after receiving an assist from forward Mason Reeves. Yet, the Hawks scored their second goal midway through the period, meaning that the Blues entered the third period with a 3–2 lead.

The third period began with Laurier only trailing the Blues by one goal and both teams fighting tooth and nail for the win. Through this period, the referees had to break multiple fights, resulting in four penalties — two for each team. Yet, halfway through the period, with an assist from Blues forward Nicholas Wong, defenseman Benjamin Dirven scored the game’s final goal to secure the team’s 4–2 win. 

What’s next

On September 23, the Blues travelled to Oshawa and defeated the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks 3–1 in their final exhibition game. According to Fairlie, the team will now focus on recovery and ensure all lines and systems are in check before the regular season begins on October 6 against the Western University Mustangs.