The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey team defeated the Waterloo Warriors 4-2 on Friday (Feb. 13) night in Waterloo, Ont.

With tonight's result, the Blues sit sixth in the OUA West standings with 29 points and are one-point ahead of the Brock Badgers with one game remaining in the regular season.

The first period was a grind as Toronto and Waterloo pushed to establish momentum. The Warriors put U of T on their heels early when Liam Fedak found the back of the net. The Blues were able to maintain steady puck possession as the period and were rewarded for their efforts late in the frame. U of T broke through when second-year forward Sean Clarke capitalized off of a feed from third-year forward Rylee Hlusiak to draw even before the first intermission.

Toronto carried their momentum from Clarke's goal into the second period with a goal in the opening four minutes of the period with third-year forward Owen Hollingsworth gave U of T their first lead of the night. The Blues continued to battle as they looked for an insurance marker as the period progressed. Meanwhile, first-year goalie Nick Surzycia remained composed in his crease as Toronto went into the third period with a one-goal lead.

Waterloo pushed back as Jaxon Murray converted on the power play to even the score. With crucial positioning in the standings on the line, U of T settled into a disciplined defensive structure while they continued as they continued to put pressure on the Warriors in transition.

As both teams looked for an edge late, third-year defenceman Owen Luik was the hero for U of T, striking with 65 seconds left for his second goal of the season while Hlusiak picked up his second point of the game with an assist. With three seconds left, first-year forward Ryan Evenhuis iced the game with an empty net goal for his seventh of the season.

Surzycia finished the game with 34 saves.

The Blues and Badgers will now square off with the final playoff spot in the OUA West on the line at Varsity Arena on Saturday (Feb. 14) night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m., with tickets available at varsityblues.ca/tickets. U of T students receive free entry with a valid T-Card. The game will also be streamed live on oua.tv.