For much of their season-opening game against the Brock Badgers, the Waterloo Warriors relied on the strong play of some first- and second-year players. But when they needed some late heroics, a pair of veterans stepped up.

Riley Sonnenburg (Cambridge) scored the overtime winner after Colin Behenna (Waterloo) knotted the game late, giving the Warriors a 5-4 overtime victory over Brock in their inaugural contest of the 2015-16 season on Thursday night at the Columbia Icefield Arena.

Second-year forward Tommy Tsicos (Barrie) registered three points, including his first career CIS goal. Linemates Phillip Fife (Oromocto) and Daniel Perigo (Truro) also scored for the Warriors; the latter counting his first goal as a Warrior.

Brock's Jake Cardwell had three assists, while the Badgers power play went 2-4 on the night. Waterloo goaltender Mike Morrison (Hamilton) made 33 stops for the win, while Brock's Clint Windsor turned aside 44 shots in a losing cause.

The Warriors came back from a 2-goal deficit to knot the game 3-3 after two periods, only to see the Badgers score the go-ahead marker with under three minutes left in regulation. But Behenna rescued the Warriors just 41 seconds later, when he took a feed from Brett Mackie (Whitby) and fired a one-timer to the top corner to send the game to overtime.

In the extra session, Sonnenburg took advantage of an ill-advised Badgers pinch and spun up the ice on a 2-on-1 with Andrew Smith (Kitchener). Smith and Sonnenburg worked the give and go to perfection, giving the Warriors the victory and sending the packed Columbia Icefield into a frenzy.

Waterloo will now look to make it two in a row to open the season when they head out on the road to face the Windsor Lancers this Saturday.