Week one was just about as successful as it could have been for Western, as the Mustangs rung up a pair of victories to start their fourth consecutive season with a record of 2-0. Now, in week two, Western will look to do something that they haven't been able to for those last three years: win their third game.

Standing in the way of that goal are the Ryerson Rams (2-1-0), who will come to town on Thursday night before the Mustangs hit the road to take on the Waterloo Warriors (2-1-0) on Saturday. Ryerson and Waterloo currently sit tied for second in the OUA West in goals-for with 15 tallies through three games.  

The offensive-oriented Ryerson Rams will present perhaps the biggest challenge so far this season for Western net-minder Greg Dodds, who earned his first shutout of the season in Saturday's 3-0 win over Brock (0-2-0) and turned away 50 of 52 shots on the weekend to head into week two with a .962 save percentage. It's just more of the same from the Mustangs' newly anointed starter, as he finished last year with five wins in nine games played and a .929 save percentage while backing up Josh Unice.

As for Western's offense, any early concerns that the Mustangs forward core would struggle to produce after losing last year's three leading scorers in Daniel Erlich (50p), Zach Harnden (41p), and Matt Clarke (40p) were quickly put to rest.

Western's first-year players were a big part of that, as Trent Ouellette, Trevor Warnaar, Colten Mayor, and Jake Worrad all contributed points through the first two games. Ouellette's debut went about as well of it could have on the stats sheet, as the former Regina Pat registered two consecutive goals to help lead Western to their 5-2 season-opening victory over Guelph (0-3-1).

And the Mustangs' rookies represent just the tip of the team's depth this year, as a number of players who weren't leaned on for offense last year kicked off the year with big offensive contributions. The trio of Julian Cimadamore, Noah Schwartz, and Luke Karaim each registered two or more points in the first two games after only putting up four points apiece last year. A 70-plus point player for three seasons with the London Nationals of the GOJHL, Schwartz could be poised for a breakout campaign this year as he steps into a bigger role with the team.

Thursday, October 16 – 7:00 p.m. – Ryerson at Western – Watch Live on OUA.tv

In an interview after Saturday's win over Brock, Mustangs head coach Clarke Singer used the word "dynamic" to describe the Ryerson Rams—perhaps the perfect description of a program that has come to be synonymous with the term "high-powered offence."

Whereas Western turned in just two games with seven or more goals last year, the Rams registered a whopping six, finishing the regular season ranked second in the CIS with a goals-per-game average of 4.54. But, on the flip side, they also allowed five or more goals in nine of their 26 regular season games and three of their five playoff games, while Western gave up five goals just five times through 34 games.

So the 2013-14 Rams relied less on their defense, which ranked 22nd in the CIS in goals against average, and more on their run-and-gun offense, which shows no signs of slowing down this season. While, last year's leading scorer in Jamie Wise may not be back, Domenic Alberga, who finished fourth in the CIS scoring race as a freshman last year with 44 points, certainly is. And—in a demonstration of the team's offensive depth—Alberga isn't even leading the team in scoring through the first three games, as freshman defenceman Alex Basso leads the pack with seven points, followed closely by Mitch Gallant and Kyle Blaney with five and six, respectively.

Basso is just one of the pieces Singer was referring to last week when he mentioned that Ryerson had a good recruiting year. Other freshmen that have gotten ice time this season are Alex Leader, Andreas Tsogkas, Patrick Simmonds, Mark Spadafora, and Stephen Midensky.

But if the Rams aren't supposed to be a defensively strong team, nobody told goaltender Troy Passingham. The veteran backstop has been solid through his first three starts this season, compiling a .946 save percentage while facing a whopping 112 shots. Last year he played in 20 games for the Rams, putting up a 2.95 goals against average and a .915 save percentage while registering 11 of Ryerson's 17 wins.

Saturday, October 18 – 6:30 p.m. – Western at Waterloo – Watch Live on OUA.tv

Waterloo may not have been as dangerous as the Rams on offence last year, ranking 14 in the CIS with a 3.43 goals-per-game average, but they've been firing on all cylinders to start the 2014 season. The Warriors opened up the year with a 7-2 and 6-5 wins against Brock and Lakehead, respectively, and are currently tied with Ryerson for third in the CIS with an average of five goals-per-game. 

That scoring has largely come by committee, as six of their 11 forwards have chipped in with four or more points through the first three games. Last year's leading scorer in Justin Larson is back again this year and is currently tied with freshman Matt Kennedy for the team lead with five points (1G – 4A).

Western would be best served to stay out of the box on Saturday, as four of Waterloo's 15 goals this season have come on the power play. The Warriors have picked up right where they left off with the man advantage last year, when they finished third in the CIS with a power-play percentage of 26.5%. Western was close behind in fourth with a percentage of 24.4%. On the penalty kill, the two teams were identical last year, both finishing with a percentage of 83.3 to tie for 13th in the CIS.

In net, the Warriors are supported by Mike Morrison, who has started all three games for Waterloo this year after splitting goaltending duties evenly with Justin Leclerc last year. Morrison finished the 2013-14 season with a .900 save percentage and has started the 2014 season with just 81 saves on 91 shots, although you can't argue with two wins in three starts.