The Mustangs men’s hockey team is at home this week as they get set to face off against the UOIT Ridgebacks on Friday and the York Lions on Saturday. The Mustangs are coming off a 3-1 win against the Guelph Gryphons this past weekend and will be looking to keep the momentum going.
The Mustangs will continue to rely on strong play from their goaltender
Josh Unice who has a goals against average of 2.46, a .918 save percentage and is leading the CIS in wins with 16 wins this season. Unice is also coming off a week where he participated in the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp.
Leading the offensive attack for the Mustangs will be forwards
Matt Clarke and Steven Reese both of whom are among the CIS leaders in points. Clarke is currently tied for second in the CIS with 33 points on the season (15 goals, 18 assists), while Reese is tied for sixth in the with 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) and his 26 assists put him atop the CIS leaderboard in that category.
The Mustangs have been sharp on special teams this season; and are currently the best penalty killing team in the country, killing off 94.1% of their penalties. Look for the Mustangs to continue pouring on the pressure with their high power offence as the team will be looking to improve their 18-4 season record.
Mustangs vs. UOIT Ridgebacks - Friday, January 25 - 7:00 p.m.
First on the schedule is the 7-15 UOIT Ridgebacks who are playing the Mustangs for the third time in three weeks and are 0-2 against the Stangs this season. The Ridgebacks are coming off a road trip up north that saw the Ridgebacks go 0-2 against Lakehead last weekend. The Ridgebacks have been looking to freshman goaltender Bryce O’Hagen who has been a constant presence between the pipes for the Ridgebacks this season starting in 20 of the team’s 22 games.
The Ridgebacks offence is led by forwards Luke VanMoerkerke and Jesse Stoughton. VanMoerkerke the Tilsonburg, Ontario, native leads the Ridgebacks with 23 points (6 goals, 17 assists), followed by Stoughton who leads the team in goals with 14 and is second on the team in points with 21. Stoughton has also managed to find himself on the score sheet in both previous games against Western with one goal and one assist this season against theMustangs.
Puck drop is set for Friday, January 25at 7:00 p.m. at Thompson Arena. You can also catch the game live on Mustangs TV at:
http://www.ssncanada.ca/game/4496/
Mustangs vs. York Lions - Saturday, January 26 - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday the Mustangs will play host to the 13-9 York Lions for the second time this season. In the first meeting between the two teams in November, the Mustangs got the best of the Lions with a 10-5 victory at York. The Lions are coming off a five game homestand that saw them go 3-2.
The Lions are led by their captain, senior forward Jessie Messier who has 28 points on the season (12 goals, 16 assists) tying him for 13th place in the CIS for points. The Mustangs can expect to see the Lions senior goaltender Andrew Perugini between the pipes on Saturday. Perugini has played in all 22 games this season, and holds a goals against average of 3.00 with a .902 save percentage. Perugini also has 13 wins on the season which ties him for third in the CIS.
Puck drop is set for Saturday January, 26, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at Thompson Arena. You can also catch the game live on Mustangs TV at:
http://www.ssncanada.ca/game/4497/