TORONTO – The Mustangs fell short in their OUA season opening weekend at York University, playing a double header on Saturday, September 13, against University of Toronto Varsity Blues and McGill Martlets and losing both games.
 
In the first match of the day, the purple and white were tested by long-time rivals Toronto, falling 5-2 in a hard-fought match.
 
The first half started off with a lot of ball movement, as Western was able to contain Toronto to the outside of the field and take away all inside passing options. Just under ten minutes into the game, however, the Blues were able to capitalize on a short corner, putting them on the scoreboard with a 1-0 lead.
 
As play continued, the Mustangs did not give up and fought hard as they pressured Toronto. Although the Blues had many circle entries, the Mustangs remained calm and were able to clear the ball out and up to the forwards. Goalkeeper Shanshan Tian played a great game as she remained composed making multiple saves.
 
With three minutes left in the first half, Western was awarded a stroke after second year forward Lindsay Borrell was slashed by a Toronto player in the box. Senior Megan Duffy stepped up and buried the ball in the bottom right corner of the net to tie the game heading into halftime.
 
The second half brought more action and excitement. Just under eight minutes in, Western's center midfielder, Alyssa Vink, potted her first goal of the season to give the Mustangs a lead, capitalizing on her own rebound off of Toronto's goal keeper. The Mustangs remained composed as they played a defensive style of hockey, forcing Toronto to the outside of the field and away from the circle.
 
Unfortunately, with 20 minutes to go in the game the Varsity Blues were awarded a stroke. Alison Lee flicked the ball high and past Mustangs' goaltender Tian to tie the game. Western remained determined and played hard hoping to get the lead back, although Toronto went on to net three unanswered goals and finish the game with a 5-2 win over the Mustangs.
 
Saturday afternoon Western faced off against McGill and were unable to bounce back from their morning loss, losing 5-0. The Martlets pressured the Mustang's defense early in the game using ball speed to their advantage. McGill was able to find the back of the net early on in the game, giving them a successful start to their season. The Mustangs struggled to respond to four goals in the first half, but fought hard in the second.
 
The field hockey team will travel to Queen's University next Saturday, September 20, 2014 to play two matches against the Waterloo Warriors at 9 AM and York Lions at 2:15 p.m.