Box Score OSHAWA, Ont. – Coming off a physical contest with the Waterloo Warriors on Friday night the Western Mustangs men’s hockey team continued their road trip Saturday, traveling to Oshawa to take on the UOIT Ridgebacks for the second time in seven days. Western started out fast and never looked back, earning a 5-2 win and extending their winning streak to 15 games.
 
“Playing on the second night of back-to-back road games is always tough but the guys came out and put a full 60 minutes in. I was happy that our guys held our own tonight against a team who played a hard forecheck,” said Western interim head coach Patrick Powers.
 
In what’s become a common theme for the Mustangs during their winning streak the team received scoring from multiple sources with Brandon Greenside and Adam Stoykewych leading the way, each contributing two goals and an assist. Jesse Stoughton and Dominik Cmogorac paced the UOIT offence as the two provided the scoring for the Ridgebacks.
 
Josh Unice continues to add to his CIS-leading win total and the fourth-year netminder now takes sole possession of first place in the nation with 15 victories. Rookie Bryce O’Hagen was again solid between the pipes for UOIT, stopping 29 shots in the loss.
 
The Mustangs stormed out of the gate in the opening period, tallying three goals in the game’s first 20 minutes. Rookie forward Daniel Erlich started things off just past the six minute mark, scoring a power play goal off of assists from the duo of Matt Clarke and Steve Reese.
 
Greenside made it 2-0 for Western a little less than two minutes later, with Stoykewych providing the assist. Greenside and Stoykewych would connect once again a few moments later, however this time it was Greenside, and Adam McKee, recording the assists while Stoykewych picked up his five goal of the season.
 
Despite falling behind three goals within the game’s first 14 minutes the Ridgebacks didn’t fold up shop, as freshman defenceman Cmogorac earned his first OUA goal, cutting the Mustangs lead to two goals as the period game to a close.
 
After a fast and furious start to the game the two teams began to settle down in the second frame, with neither team finding the back of the net until 13:33 when Greenside scored his second of the game, and fifth of the year, to extend Western’s lead to 4-1.
 
Once again UOIT struck back in the later stages of the period, when Stoughton netted his 13th goal of the year, pulling the Ridgebacks to within two as the period came to a close.
 
Heading into the third period with a two-goal lead, the Mustangs looked to hold on and claim their 15th consecutive win. Midway through the third Stoykewych connected with Tyler Peters and Erlich to pot his second goal of the game and extend Western’s lead to three goals.
 
The Ridgebacks had a great chance to reduce Western’s lead however Unice was able to deny the breakaway attempt and preserve the lead for the Mustangs. It was a lead the team would hold for the remainder of the game, coming away with a 5-2 victory.
 
Next up for Western is another pair of road contests, the first coming this Thursday against Laurier before a Saturday night showdown with the Guelph Gryphons.