WATERLOO, Ont. – The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks skated past Laurier with a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory on Thursday night.

Cullen McLean emerged as the hero, scoring twice, including the game-winner just over four minutes into the extra period. McLean's second goal, assisted by Andrew Suriyuth and Marko Jakovljevic, capped off a tightly contested matchup.

The Ridgebacks opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Kyle Leonard, assisted by Braiden Koran. Laurier responded in the second, netting back-to-back goals from Mathieu Paquin and Max-Antoine Melancon to take the lead. Ben Roode's equalizer for Ontario Tech ensured the game stayed competitive heading into the third.

The final period saw high drama, with Suriyuth scoring a short-handed goal for the Ridgebacks and McLean adding another. Laurier fought back with goals from Lucas Chard and Sam Rhodes, forcing overtime. However, McLean's decisive goal sealed the victory, leaving the Ridgebacks celebrating their hard-fought win.

The Ridgebacks will return home for Country Night on January 30 when they take on the York Lions at the Campus Ice Centre.