LONDON, Ont. – The Western Mustangs women's hockey team will try to close out their regular season on a high note on Thursday night when they hit the road to take on the Waterloo Warriors at 7:30 p.m.
 
The Mustangs are currently sitting fourth in the OUA standings with a record of 13-1-8-1, and if the playoffs started today, Western would face the rival Queen's Gaels in an OUA quarterfinal series. This matchup, however, is not set in stone. A regulation time win on Thursday secures at least a third place seeding for the Mustangs, but could see them finish as high as second. However, a loss, combined with various other factors, could see Western finish anywhere from fourth to sixth. 
 
The purple and white are currently on a two game winning streak, their first since the beginning of January. The last two Western victories have come over the York Lions and Windsor Lancers.
 
In the last game against Windsor, six different Mustangs scored and defenceman Katelyn Gosling had three points in a dominant 6-3 road victory.
 
The return of veteran forward Kendra Broad, the team's top scorer alongside Brittany Clapham and Gosling, has seemed to rejuvenate an offence that had been finding it hard to cash in for several games during her absence.
 
Western @ Waterloo – Thursday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. – Watch live on OUA.tv; listen on CHRW Radio 94.9 FM
 
The Waterloo Warriors are coming into Thursday's contest having split their last 10 games with five wins and five losses, and hold an 11-2-8-1 record, currently slotting them as the sixth seed in the OUA. With two games remaining on the schedule, the Warriors final playoff position is yet to be determined as they could finish anywhere from third to seventh, depending on how the rest of the OUA schedule plays out.
 
In a typically low scoring league, the Warriors' strength lies in their attack, as they are averaging 2.64 goals per game, good for third amongst all OUA teams. Shooting just under ten percent, the Warriors capitalize on their scoring chances when they arise. The Mustangs must attempt to take away time and space in the defensive zone to prevent the Warriors from moving into their high scoring areas.
 
The leading scorer for the Warriors is forward Kaitlyn McDonell who has four goals and 19 points in 22 games this season. Close behind McDonnell on the Waterloo leaderboard are Paula LaGamba (10g, 8a), Marissa Redmond (5g, 13a), and Rachel Marriott (12g, 5a).
 
The last time the two teams faced off was all the way back on October 4, in the Mustangs home opener at Thompson Arena. Western came out on the winning side that day, taking a 1-0 win thanks to a power play goal from Brianna Iazzolino and a 21-save shutout from Kelly Campbell.
 
With Thursday's matchup potentially having major playoff implications for both sides, expect for this to be one of the most highly contested games of the year.