After playing their final game of 2016 and the first two games of 2017 at home, the Mustangs will wrap up a five-game home stand this weekend when they take on the Laurentian Voyageurs and Nipissing Lakers.
 
Western heads into the weekend having gone 1-1 to start 2017 after splitting their games with Ryerson and Toronto last week. Currently the purple and white hold a 6-2-7-1 record and are in a three-way tie for fourth place in the OUA standings alongside Toronto and Queen's.
 
The Mustangs started off the new year with a bang against Ryerson, scoring four goals in the first period on their way to a 4-0 win over the Rams on Saturday. Sunday featured a hard-fought contest with the Varsity Blues that saw the visitors score a power play goal midway through the third period to defeat the Mustangs 3-2.
 
The line of April Clark, Lyndsay Kirkham, and Shana Alexander shined for the purple and white against Ryerson, with the trio contributing three of the Mustangs four goals and with each player recording a goal and an assist in the win. Katie Jacobs got the start in net for both games last week, recording 26 saves for the shutout on Saturday before stopping 23 shots on Sunday.
 
Kirkham continues to lead Western in scoring 16 games into the season, with the forward tallying 12 goals and 18 points to rank second amongst all OUA players in both categories.
 
Western vs Laurentian – Saturday, January 14 at 4 p.m. – Watch live on OUA.tv
 
Although the Voyageurs hold down the number 10 spot on the OUA standings they're only four points behind the Mustangs for fourth place in the conference. They're currently riding a four-game losing streak, falling to Nipissing and UOIT before the break before losing to both Queen's and UOIT last week to kick off 2017.
 
Laurentian boasts one of the top offensive units in the league, averaging a second-ranked 2.93 goals per game. That scoring comes from across the lineup, with nine players having recorded at least three goals through 14 games this season.
 
Laura Deller sees the majority of the starts for Laurentian, compiling a 5-6-0 record with a 2.73 goals against average and an .895 save percentage.
 
One area the Mustangs could take advantage off is on special teams. The Voyageurs are the league's most penalized team with 163 minutes in penalties, while the Mustangs boast a top five power play, connecting at a 16.4 percent rate.
 
Western vs Nipissing – Sunday, January 15 at 4 p.m. – Watch live on OUA.tv
 
The Mustangs will be in for a tougher test on Sunday, when the U Sports No. 8 Nipissing Lakers make their way to Thompson Arena for the first time since game three of the OUA semi-finals, that saw Western earn a trip to the McCaw Cup with a triple overtime win.
 
Nipissing comes into this week as not only the eighth-ranked team in the nation, but also the second place team in the OUA standings with an 8-2-2-2 record. The Lakers have already topped the Mustangs once this season, defeating the purple and white by a 2-0 score back on October 22 in North Bay.
 
Befitting of their place in the standings, the Lakers rank in the top five in the OUA in both offence and defence, sitting in fifth with 2.71 goals-per-game, while also coming in at number three in goals against average (1.80) and save percentage (.932).
 
Forwards Bronwyn Bolduc (nine goals, four assists) and Samantha Strassburger (five goals, eight assists) lead the Lakers offence with 13 points each. Senior goaltender Jacqueline Rochefort is once again having a stellar season for Nipissing, putting up an 8-2 record with a 1.65 goals against average and a .936 save percentage so far this season.
 
Just as with the Voyageurs, special teams could be key on Sunday, with the Mustangs top five power play coming up against the Lakers number one ranked penalty kill. Through 14 games this season the Lakers have only allowed four power play goals, giving them a 93.8 percentage on the penalty kill.