Two of the OUA's winless teams prepare to do battle this week with the Mustangs (0-4) heading to Sault Ste. Marie for a pair of games against the Algoma Thunderbirds (0-3). Both teams have had some tough luck to start the year but this weekend represents a chance for at least one of them to break their early losing streak and get on the board.
 
While Western and Algoma are the only two teams in the OUA West Division without a win on the year, they're not necessarily having the same season; a quick look at their stats shows that, despite their similar records, there's quite a gap between how the two teams are performing.
 
For one thing, Western has been shooting nearly 10 percent better from the field than the Thunderbirds (34.9% versus 25%), placing them in eleventh in the OUA while Algoma sits in sixteenth. Meanwhile, Western is actually near the top of the league when they're sent to the free throw line, currently holding down sixth at 64%, while Algoma sits last in the OUA at 50%.
 
On defence, the Thunderbirds have allowed a league-worst average of 87 points-per-game through three matches while Western have allowed an average of 72 through four matches. Algoma's opponents have also been able to find time and space behind the arc, shooting a league-high 39.2% compared to the 28% shot by Western's opponents.
 
In other words, there's no doubt that both teams are struggling, although the extent to which they both are may differ. Still, both teams have also had their strong performers so far.
 
Western has been led by the trio of Caroline Wolynski, Maddy Horst, and Mackenzie Puclicz so far this season— the only three players to average more than 30 minutes a game. Wolynski, a hometown veteran, was solid in Western's two losses over the weekend, putting up 15 points against Ryerson before adding another 17 in Western's close 64-58 loss to Toronto.
 
On the season, she leads the team with an average of 12.5 points-per-game and is first among Western players who have attempted more than five field goals a game with a 44% success rate. Meanwhile, Puclicz and Horst have bother been solid from the free-throw line, shooting totals of 73.1% and 81.8%, respectively, when sent to the line. They've also been two of Western's best defensive players so far, each averaging more than four rebounds-per-game.
 
Victoria Heine has also been a factor on defence for the Mustangs so far, averaging a team-high 4.8 rebounds per game while causing an average of 3.2 turnovers. Western's other two players with an average of more than three rebounds per game— Sasha Samardzija (3.5) and Alex Van heeswyk— have also factored in on offence, as they're shooting 72.7% and 62.5%, respectively, from the field.
 
Algoma has had a couple of strong performers so far this season too. Stephanie Jennings has been solid for the Thunderbirds, averaging a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game (2.3 on offence and 4.0 on defence) and the highest field goal percentage of any player that's played more than 20 minutes at 42.9%. Meanwhile, the team's highest point-getters are Sydney Resch and Laura Meadows, who have averaged 8.7 points-per-game and 7.3, respectively.
 
Friday's game will take place at 1:00 p.m. at Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie, while Saturday's game will also be held at Sault College at 6:00 p.m.