LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs women's soccer squad improved to 5-6-2 for 17 points on the season, clinching an OUA West Division quarter-final berth with a 2-1 win over Windsor on Oct. 20 at TD Waterhouse Stadium.

Western now sits in fourth place with 17 points, ahead of Brock and York in the race for a home-playoff game on Oct. 27.

The Mustangs had a strong game from freshman goalkeeper Melanie Oberholzer, while Erin Grand, Chantal Blais, Jenna Schroeder and Courtney Stocks made things difficult for the Windsor defence with relentless pressure on the ball.

Grand scored with a high curling shot early in the game, using the favourable wind conditions to beat Lancers goalkeeper Danielle St. Germain.

But later in the half, Caroline Lott, sister of former Mustangs forward Catherine, scored on a penalty kick after a controversial hand-ball call. Lott was stopped by freshman Mustangs' goalkeeper Melanie Oberholzer on the original strike from the penalty spot, but she sprinted in and knocked home a rebound past the helpless goalie whose defence did not get a good jump on the rebound.

The teams entered the half-time break tied at 1-1.

Western took the lead late in the second half after Windsor squandered several scoring opportunities.

Early in the second frame, Windsor's senior forward Heather Daichendt was robbed by Oberholzer on a nice counter-attack play from Windsor; the Western netminder came out to slide after the ball, then caught the juicy rebound bounce and secured it to keep the game tied.

Daichendt missed on a low-angle shot, then turned over the ball twice in a four-minute span before missing the net on a point-blank opportunity on an open cage. The snake-bitten Lancers outside midfielder Daichendt made several great runs in the game, but could not convert after the ball bounced off teammate Candace Garrod and then off a Western defender onto her foot with Oberholzer out of position. The ball sailed two feet wide of the net.

Western scored the game-winner minutes later in the 83rd minutes when rookie defender Hayley Slavin beat St. Germain from 35 yards out on a laser-like shot that skimmed along the turf and took a favourable Western bounce late on its passage toward the net past St. Germain.

Oberholzer made seven saves for the win in Western's net.

The Mustangs close out the regular season at Brock on Sunday in a battle for home-field advantage for the OUA quarter-finals.

OUA West
Team GP W L T PTS
Laurier 13 10 1 2 32
McMaster 14 8 4 2 26
Windsor 13 5 3 5 20
Western 13 5 6 2 17
Brock 13 4 6 3 15
York 12 5 7 0 15
Guelph 13 2 6 5 11
Waterloo 13 3 9 1 10