LONDON, Ont. – The Western Mustangs men's soccer team would extend their unbeaten streak to five games after a 1-1 tie against the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday afternoon at Mustang Field.

"Guelph certainly had momentum in the second half, we had the first half," head coach Rock Basacco commented about the shift in play. "That's what ends up happening, you get the momentum and you keep on pushing, [for Guelph] a penalty shot came out of it."

Their third tie of the season, Western's record heading into their final match is 8-4-3 while Guelph sits at 8-2-5 and also has one match remaining in the season. The Mustangs hold the fourth place spot in the division with 27 points, sitting only two points behind Guelph in third place. With Guelph set to face off against Windsor, who currently sit two points behind the Mustangs in fifth place, Sunday's results will determine the third, fourth, and fifth place spots in the division. 

The Mustangs would start the game off strongly, and wasted no time getting themselves ahead of the Gryphons. At the 12 minute mark Connor McFall struck a powerful ball to the back of the Guelph net to get the Mustangs on the scoreboard. As the half progressed both teams contributed to a physical match and saw their share of chances on net, however neither side was able to capitalize on the opportunities.

With the scoreboard sitting at 1-0 for the Mustangs at the start of the second, the cold and windy weather appeared to take a toll with looser passes and less control. On the defensive end the Mustangs were keeping control at the back and holding off Guelph attacks, however it appeared their fate would change late in the half. At the 81 minute mark a penalty was awarded to the Gryphons – Western goalie Ben Cowman was able to save Tim Flynn's initial shot, though Flynn was able to capitalize on the rebound to tie the game up at 1-1. With little time remaining, the purple and white would make an offensive push to regain the lead but would have to settle for a 1-1 final score.

The Mustangs face a tough match against the York Lions, who currently sit atop the division, as they look to add a win to finish out the season. "Right now it's just having enough healthy bodies. It'll be a difficult game against York and we'll just do the best that we can," noted Basacco on the Mustangs upcoming and final season game against the Lions. The team heads to Toronto on Sunday, October 19 to face the Lions, with the game scheduled for a 3:15 p.m. start.