WINDSOR, Ont. – Forward Lyndsay Kirkham scored three goals and contributed an assist to help lead the Western Mustangs to a 6-2 victory against the Windsor Lancers on Thursday night at the South Windsor Arena.
 
With the win, the Mustangs continue their recent run of success against the Lancers, having won both regular season matchups between these two teams last year, and move to 2-0 early in the 2016-17 regular season.
 
Kirkham's three goals were her first three of the year, and came in the second and third period on Thursday. The Cranbrook, BC, native scored her first of the night with less than two minutes to go in the second, and then followed that up with back-to-back goals in the third.
 
Western opened the scoring halfway through the first period on an unassisted goal by defenceman Anthea Lasis, her first of the season. Windsor tied the game a little more than five minutes later on a power play goal from veteran forward Shawna Lesperance. The marker was the first of two goals from Lesperance as she provided both of Windsor's goals in the game.
 
Alyssa Chiarello put the Mustangs in front early in the second period, scoring the first goal of her CIS career on the power play, converting assists from Brianna Iazzolino and April Clark, with Clark's helper being her first of three on the night. The goal was the first of five straight goals by the Mustangs, with Kirkham scoring her first goal of the game late in the period to give the purple and white a 3-1 lead heading into the third.
 
The Mustangs opened the third period scoring with a goal by defenceman Amanda Moore, quickly followed up by Kirkham's second goal of the game nine seconds later. Kirkham later scored her third of the game with just under seven minutes remaining in the period, before Lesperance closed out the game's scoring with her second of the night at 14:45.
 
Getting her second straight start in goal for the Mustangs, Katie Jacobs turned away 15 of 17 shot attempts in the win.
 
The Mustangs will look to win their third straight game to open the season when they head to North Bay to take on the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday, October 22, at 4:30 p.m.