Brian Cheng will return to lead the Mustangs' coaching staff for his sixth season as head coach, welcoming four new players to the roster to help improve on last year's 14-6 record.

Western's returning players will be joined by a group of promising recruits including Jade Codinera, Sarah Gellately, Megan Goar, and London product Sarah Coulthard, who will be joining the Mustangs from Saint Thomas Aquinas CSS.

Mackenzie Puklicz will be back on the floor for the purple and white, and looking to match her offensive performance that earned her an All-Star nod last year. Puklicz led the Mustangs in scoring last season and was third in the CIS in points per game, averaging 18.6.

Returning alongside the London native will be third-year guard Maddie Horst, who stood out as a sharpshooter last year, to place within the top five in the CIS in three-point efficiency. After leading the team in rebounding last year in her rookie season, Julia Curran will also be back on the floor and looking for similar success.

Coupled with their offensive weapons, coach Cheng will no doubt hope to maintain his team's defensive mindset, as the Mustangs were second in the CIS in creating turnovers, averaging 11.3 steals per game.

The Mustangs will be expecting another strong season, led by their experienced veterans and talented first-year class. Their first opportunity to prove themselves comes this Saturday, when Western welcomes the Guelph Gryphons to Alumni Hall.

Western vs. Guelph - Saturday, November 5 at 6:00 p.m. - Watch live on OUA.tv

Coming off an 11-8 record last season, the Gryphons will be looking to have better luck against the Mustangs this year, as they fell to Western 64-57 in the only meeting of the two teams. Guelph will be led by head coach Mark Walton, who is coming into his first year as the Gryphons coach after being an assistant coach for the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team.

Along with a new bench boss, the Gryphons will feature a different lineup with the departure of the team's top three scorers in Kate MacTavish, Bridget Atkinson, and Dana Val Balkom. The Gryphons will attempt to replace part of their production with a new incoming recruiting class, with six players joining the roster this season.

Following a 14-point game in their preseason win over Laurier last Friday, second-year forward Ashley Wheeler hopes to continue her early momentum into the game against Western. Western will also be looking to contain third-year guard Haley Belyk, who has shown the ability to play well on both sides of the ball during the preseason.

Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m., with long-distance fans able to catch all the action live on OUA.tv.