LONDON, Ont. – Trevor Warnaar scored his second of the game in a wild third period to help lead the short-handed Mustangs over the Ryerson Rams 7-4 at Thompson Arena on Saturday.
 
"We traded goals back and forth and it's not exactly how we wanted to win the game but we got the job done in the end and that's what's important," said Warnaar of the third period. "We're getting contributions from everybody on the ice—first line through fourth line."
 
Western dressed just 16 skaters and found themselves down to 15 when Nick Charif was assessed a 10-minute misconduct late in the second frame. But the Mustangs were able to survive three third period goals from the Rams and Charif made up for his time in the box by whipping an insurance marker by Ryerson's Taylor Dupuis late in the frame.
 
"I thought the guys battled," said Mustangs head coach Clarke Singer. "Ryerson didn't play yesterday—we did—we had a pretty physical game against Laurier. Power plays were nine to two and I mean you waste a lot of energy killing penalties. I do think it caught up to us a little bit there and we weren't thinking like we should or maybe playing the body as smart as we could in the d-zone.
 
"It would have been easy to fold the tent there but our guys battled back and had a great effort in the last 10 [minutes]."
 
In total, the two teams combined for eight goals in the third, as a previously low-scoring game erupted into a free-for-all. Warnaar and rookie Ray Huether both finished with two goals on the night, while Huether added an assist to finish with a team-high three points. Both of his goals came in the third period—the latter was an empty netter that put the cherry on top.
 
Western entered the third period up one and added to their lead early, but the Rams would fight back with three goals to eventually tie the game at four. Warnaar's goal eleven minutes in was enough to put the Mustangs up for good, as he picked up his own rebound and slid it in.
 
"I came on a late change kind of thing and the puck bounced out," said Warnaar of his winner. "I fanned on the first one but I was lucky enough to get on top of the second and bang her home."
 
Trent Ouellette and Matt Marantz also had multi-point games, with Ouellette scoring the opener and adding an assist and Marantz registering a pair of helpers. Ouellette's goal was part of a two goal first period that had the Mustangs up 2-0 at the first intermission.
 
If you would have told coach Singer before the game that the severely shorthanded Mustangs would have a two-goal lead heading into the first intermission and a one-goal lead at the second, he probably wouldn't have believed you. But that's just the way it's gone for 3-0 Western so far this year: they're finding a way to score despite all of the odds.
 
"Certainly a bit of a surprise," said Singer when asked about Western's early-season offensive outburst. "The key goals have been critical. If you look at it [Ryerson] came back and we get the fifth and put it away. So we'll keep working on it and keep trying to get those hard-working gritty goals. We haven't had a power play goal, which is something—when you look at that—you think our power play would contribute but it hasn't yet."
 
Greg Dodds earned his second win of the season for the Mustangs, stopping 43 of 47 shots to hold off the Rams. Twenty-six of those saves came in the third-period alone, as the Rams pummelled him with pucks in a desperate attempt to get back in the game.
 
A hustle goal from Aaron Armstrong on a scrum in front of the net, a nice tip-in by Sam Blanchet on a point-shot from Alex Basso, and a slapper from Andreas Tsogkas on a two-on-one were the only three shots to get by him in the final frame, as he stood on his head for the Mustangs.  His counterpart in Dupuis finished the game with a whopping 46 saves on 52 shots.
 
"Both Peter and Greg have been exceptional," said Singer. "Often your goaltender's your best penalty killer and both Peter and Greg have been great for us in the first three games."
 
Western didn't give Dupuis much of a chance on a number of their goals. Both Warnaar and Huether wired shots off the cross-bar and in for one of their goals, while Luke Karaim scored his second of the season on a bang-bang play in the third.
 
Those goals helped lead to result that Western needed but weren't necessarily looking for, as the young team focuses on implementing coach Singer's systems. A 3-0 start is certainly a bonus, but the injury plagued team is looking for more than just wins early on.
 
"We're not trying to focus on the results, more the process," said Singer. "So far the guys are doing a good job. We're happy with where we are, we've got a long ways to go with the group but they're very receptive. They've been working very hard and that's all you can ask."
 
The Mustangs will now turn their attention to next weekend, when they'll face off against the Varsity Blues in Toronto on Friday and the Guelph Gryphons in London on Saturday. The purple and white will have a chance to reassess their injuries this week as they continue one to be part of one of the oddest starts in Mustangs hockey history.
 
"Never," Singer responded when asked whether he had ever seen such an injury-plagued start. "I thought last year was tough as we finished the season without some of our best guys but we dressed 18 players today. We have 28 players on our roster and we dressed 18. The odd time you have to dress 19 maybe but never can I remember being two short of what you can dress."
 
NOTES: Western gave up just a single power play goal on seven opportunities, but were unable to score one of their own for the third game this season. The penalty kill hasn't given one up either, though, and has looked good through the first few games…