LONDON, Ont. – Stephanie Di Tella picked up a pair of goals to help the Mustangs women's soccer team secure a 3-0 victory against the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday afternoon at Mustang Field.

"We had a good build-up plan, they dropped off so we looked to move the ball to feet and combine around the top of the box and tried to get some penetration wide," head coach Martin Painter said when describing the Mustangs' offensive attack. "We created a lot of chances; it was a good performance."

The victory starts the weekend off on a high note for the Mustangs as they look to fight for first place in their last two matches of the season. Saturday's win now puts Western's record at 12-2-1, with Guelph dropping to 6-8-1. The purple and white currently sit in third place with 37 points; one point behind second place York and two points behind Laurier. 

Western came ready to battle, putting heavy pressure on the Gryphons straight from the opening whistle. Claiming the majority of possession and making numerous pushes in the attacking third of the field, the Mustangs were able to get themselves on the scoreboard at the 33 minute mark when Angelika Michalopolous put a far shot past the Gryphon's goalie. This would give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead heading into the second half.

Despite the cold and windy conditions, Western continued the momentum of the first half, dominating the play and pressuring the Guelph defence in the second half of play. After coming off the bench halfway through the second Di Tella was determined to make an impact, and that she did – curling a shot in at the 71 minute mark before blasting in another goal just five minutes later to put the Mustangs up 3-0. A solid defensive effort by the purple and white would allow the Gryphons only one shot on net in the entire game, helping goalie Tori Edgar record her ninth shutout of the season. The Mustangs trio of goals would prove to be enough, with the team coming away with the 3-0 victory and another three points.

The Mustangs have one final contest in the regular season on Sunday at York, in which they will be looking to claim another victory in hopes of winning the OUA West Division and a first round playoff bye.
"Tomorrow looking at it, if we win we finish first and win our division – so we have our destiny in our hands," Painter said about Sunday's matchup. "We're going to do everything we can to win."
The Mustangs will hit the road and head to Toronto to play York in their final battle on Sunday, October 19, with kick-off slated for 1:00 p.m.