Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Western Mustangs Sports

Emma Pearson vs York - Nov. 8, 2014
Brandon VandeCaveye
1
Brock BRO
2
Winner Western WES
Brock BRO
1
Final
2
Western WES
Winner
Score By Periods
Team F
Brock BRO 0 1 0 0 1
Western WES 1 0 0 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Hockey | | By David Conlin

Mustangs edge Badgers 2-1 in overtime

LONDON, Ont. – The winless Brock Badgers gave the OUA's top team all they could handle on Friday night but had to settle for an overtime loss, as Sydney Kidd scored just over three minutes into the extra frame to give the Western Mustangs a 2-1 victory over the Badgers at Thompson Arena.
 
Kidd's goal came on a scramble in front of the Badgers net, a fitting end to a game that saw the two teams trade chances for the majority of play and the Mustangs struggle to take control. Nonetheless, Western assistant coach Dave Edwards indicated after the game that the Mustangs would take the victory, Western's ninth straight, regardless of how they got it.
 
"It's nice to get a victory— it wasn't the best display of hockey for our team but two points is two points," Edwards said after the game. "Give Brock credit, I thought they played very well. They out skated us, they out chanced us. Brock just wanted to win it more, I think, and when you're number one in the league and teams come to your place they just play harder."
 
Entering the game, the Mustangs and the Badgers were on opposite ends of the OUA standings, with Brock holding down last place and Western in first. But at times on Friday you wouldn't have been able to tell which team was in first and which in last, as the Badgers came out with the sole intention of taking a win home with them to St. Catherine's.
 
"We didn't control the puck well, we made some poor decisions and sometimes it's not about working harder, it's working smarter," Edwards said of his team's performance Friday. "I think that was a thing that we didn't do well… which resulted in turnovers in our zone and opportunities for Brock. Again, give credit to Brock for creating those kinds of turnovers."
 
The game was largely a goaltender battle, with Katie Jacobs and Brock's Emily Kelly stealing the show in the back-and-forth affair. Kelly was rock solid when Brock needed her, finishing with a game-high 39 saves on the night and standing tall in a pair of 12-shot periods. Her performance certainly didn't escape the eye of Edwards, who made a point to note that she played "very, very well."
 
Jacobs was also stellar, getting the call for Western in place of starter Kelly Campbell and finishing with 23 saves on the night. She was busy early and often, and the Badgers' many odd-man rushes ensured that she wouldn't have any time to rest in the match.
 
"We're very comfortable with Katie, she works hard everyday in practice so I mean the girls are very comfortable," said Edwards of Jacobs after the game. "Obviously Kelly is an outstanding goaltender, but you know what? We're confident with how Katie's played and same with [fellow backup Peyton Parker] so… I think the team's going to respond to the goaltenders."
 
Brock came charging out of the gate with purpose, pressuring Western early to make sure they couldn't get on their game. That strategy worked for at least the first five minutes, before the Mustangs finally got momentum on their side and started controlling play. Stacey Scott would capitalize on that momentum just over 12 minutes into the first period, sending a nice wrester over the shoulder of Brock's Emily Kelly to open the scoring for Western.
 
The Badgers first goal would also come on a nice shot, with Peirson sending a wrist-shot of her own into the top shelf just under seven minutes into the second frame. The goal—Peirson's first of her OUA career— was the culmination of some strong Brock play to begin the second period.
 
Western would regain control and get back on their feet for the second half of the second frame, although the shots would end up being 9-5 in Brock's favour. The Mustangs carried that momentum into the third, keeping up the pressure despite their inability to beat Kelly. Jacobs still had to be strong though, highlighted by a nice save just over 12 minutes into the frame that saw her locate a bouncing puck through traffic to keep it out of the net.
 
In overtime, the two teams traded chances until Kidd was able to drive in the final nail on the power play just over three minutes into the frame. The Badgers' Kelly was absolutely stellar once again, saving seven shots in the extra frame alone to cap off what turned out to be her best performance of the year.
 
"In the overtime I thought we controlled the play," said Edwards. "We got the puck back to the points and we got decent shots on the goal, which resulted in a goal— just mucking in front of the net, old-time hockey so to speak."
 
Western won't have much time to celebrate Friday's victory as they'll be right back into action again tomorrow with a game against Guelph at Thompson Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. and fans can watch all the action live on OUA.tv
 
Notes
 
Both of Western's goals came on the power play on Friday night, pushing the Mustangs to double-digits in power play goals (10) for the first time this year…A team not generally known for their prowess on the penalty kill (they entered fourth-last in the OUA at 82.4%), the Mustangs were able to keep Brock off the board on Friday despite almost surprising their season high in penalty minutes (18) with 16 minutes in infractions. Brock's power play entered the game ranked fifth in the OUA (one spot behind Western) with a 14.3% success rate. 
Print Friendly Version