WATERLOO, Ont. – After winning a tight defensive battle in the first game of their OUA West Semi-Final series on Thursday night, the Western Mustangs men’s hockey team headed to Waterloo to face the Warriors on Saturday night. Waterloo extended their season, scoring with 1:48 to play to escape with a 4-3 victory and force a deciding game three for Sunday night at Thompson Arena.
 
Unlike Thursday’s game that didn’t see any scoring until the third period, Saturday’s game started out a torrid pace, with the Warriors taking a two-goal lead less than three minutes into the game on goals from Jared Parent and Micky Sartoretto.
 
Zach Harnden then cut the Waterloo lead in half at the 6:25 mark, scoing his second of the post-season off of assists from Andrew Eastman and Steve Reese. The Mustangs wouldn’t wait long to tie the game when Tyler Peters put a puck past Hartigan to make it 2-2 midway through the opening period.
 
After such a fast start things slowed down with no goals coming for an entire three minutes and 51 seconds before Kirt Hill recorded his third goal of the playoffs to put Waterloo in front 3-2, a lead they would take into the first intermission.
 
The Mustangs kept the pressure up in the second frame outshooting the Warriors 16-6, but Hartigan was able to keep the door closed, sending the game into the third period still 3-2 in Waterloo’s favour.
 
Once again in the third neither team was able to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, including both sides killing off penalties for significant periods of time. Waterloo’s Josh Woolley broke the deadlock scoring a goal with 1:48 left to give the Warriors a 4-3 win and send the series back to London for game three.
 
Harnden led the Mustangs offence with two goals and an assist, while both Daniel Erlich and Reese had two assists.
 
Josh Unice had a solid evening in net, stopping 20 of 24 shots while Hartigan was able to withstand Western’s barrage with 44 saves out of 47 shots faced.
 
The third and final game of the OUA West Semi-Final is set for Sunday at Thompson Arena. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.