TORONTO - The Western Mustangs came home with a 2-1 record after arguably their toughest weekend in the 2009 schedule.

"We were hoping to get through 2-1 and preferably 3-0," said Mustangs head coach Dave Hastings. "Even though we won the Queen's game down the stretch, they worked us hard and we had to earn that one." 

Western defeated McGill 13-7 on Sept. 26 and came from behind to defeat Queen's 13-9 on Sept. 27. Later Sept. 27, Western's only loss on the weekend came in a 6-5 decision in favour of the six-time defending OUA champion Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. 

Laurier's game-tying goal came with three minutes left and the Golden Hawks took advantage of Western's tiring legs to score the game-winner. Laurier was fresh for the game, while Western was still recovering from a physically demanding game earlier in the day against Queen's.

"We were tired, we had some sore muscles, and we came out a bit flat," Hastings said.. "Laurier scored the first two goals in the first two minutes and last two goals in the last three minutes."

Mustangs scoring against Laurier came from midfielder/attacker Emmi Morris (Brampton, Ont.) who had three goals. She finished the weekend with 10 points on nine goals and one assist.

Lauren Crape (Calgary, Alta.) had one goal and one assist and Nicole Pullen (Orangeville, Ont.) added a single against the Hawks.

With the game tied 3-3 at the half, Pullen scored at the 12:29 mark of the second half to give Western the 4-3 lead. But Laurier, still reeling after their first loss in 26 games to Western a week earlier, came back.

Earlier in the day, Western edged Queen's 13-9.

Down 6-3 with about six and a half minutes left in the first half, Western rattled off three straight goals to go into the half tied.

"It was a good game, we just carried the momentum forward," Hastings said. "We rattled off seven goals to outscore them 7-3 in the second half."

Morris and Larissa Boychuk (Mississauga, Ont.) led Western with three goals and one assist each. Lindsay Doxtator (Southwold, Ont.) added a pair of goals and a helper. Crape and Beth Turowec (Oshawa, Ont.) added two goals each, while Laura Robinson (Peterborough, Ont.) tallied once.

On Sept. 26, Western defeated McGill despite what Hastings described as "a slow start with lots of sloppy midfield play."

Tied 5-5 at the half, Western outscored the Martletts 8-2 in the second half for the 13-7 win.

"McGill's goalie played great," said Hastings. "She was stuffing us on the wrap-arounds and stuffing us on our free positions. It was just one of those frustrating first halves, we wondered 'why are we only at five-five'."

Morris scored three goals, while Doxtator had two goals and three assists, Larissa Boychuck two goals and one assist, and Crape added one goal and one assist, 

Pullen had three, Adrianna Clapp (Brooklin, Ont.) had one goal and one assist, Turowec added one goal.

Goalkeeper Summer Windley (Kitchener, Ont.) played the whole weekend.

Standings
  GP  W  L  PTS
Toronto   5  5  0  10
Western   6  4  2  8
Laurier   6  4  2  8
Queen's   5  2  3  4
McGill   3  1  2  2
Guelph   3  0  3  0
McMaster  4  0  4  0
Next Up: Oct. 11 at Guelph, 1 p.m.