WATERLOO, Ont. – An early third period goal from Brittany Clapham proved to be the game winner, as the Western Mustangs closed out their regular season with a 3-2 win over the Waterloo Warriors on Thursday night.
 
The win has the Mustangs heading into the playoffs on a three-game winning streak, and secures at least a third place seed in the OUA playoffs. Western finishes the season with 45 points and a 14-1-8-1 record, a mark that currently has the team in second place in the standings.
 
However, the Toronto Varsity Blues sit only one point back of the Mustangs, and have two games remaining on their schedule, meaning they could jump into second depending on their results this weekend. Regardless of how Toronto's schedule plays out, the Mustangs can finish no worse than third.
 
The Mustangs scored the only goal of the first period, an unassisted marker by forward Catherine O'Connor just 2:43 into the game. Western carried a majority of the play in the first and doubled the Warriors shot total in the frame, outshooting them 14-7.
 
Waterloo evened the score halfway through the game when Alyssa Gee took a pass from Carolyn Burke and scored to even the game at 1-1.
 
A goal from forward Evra Levesque six minutes later gave the Mustangs the lead once again. The tally was Levesque's fourth of the year, and came off of assists from Amanda Pereira and Lyndsay Kirkham.
 
Clapham extended the Mustangs lead only 39 seconds into the third period, with Stacey Scott and Brianna Iazzolino providing the assists.
 
Waterloo responded with just over a minute remaining, but it wasn't enough as Western claimed a 3-2 win.
 
The Mustangs will now have to watch the scoreboard to see where they'll end up in the standings, as well as who they'll face off with next week in the OUA Quarterfinals.