TORONTO – Goals from four different players helped the Western Mustangs pick up their second consecutive win with a 4-1 victory over the York Lions on Sunday afternoon at Canlan Ice Sports.
The win, which pushes the purple and white's record back to .500, gives them a six-point advantage over the ninth placed UOIT Ridgebacks in the OUA standings. They are currently in seventh with the Laurentian Voyageurs one point behind them and with two games in hand.
Brianna Iazzolino,
Lyndsay Kirkham,
Alyssa Chiarello, and
Evra Levesque scored for the Mustangs in the win, with Iazzolino and Chiarello's markers coming on the power play, while Rianna Langford provided the offence for York.
Shelby Ryan earned her second straight win on Sunday, making 24 stops, with Lauren Dubie making 28 saves for the Lions in the loss.
The Mustangs continued their recent theme of outshooting their opponents to begin the game, ending the first period with 9-8 shot advantage over the Lions. It was the Lions, however, who struck first midway through the period when veteran forward Rianna Langford scored her third goal of the season, her first in six games. The 1-0 lead would stand heading into the second period.
Western responded just prior to the 14-minute mark of the second, with Iazzolino scoring on the power play to tie the game. The goal, her fourth of the season, gives Iazzolino 12 points on the season, which is good for second among defencemen in the OUA.
With the period seemingly about to end with the teams tied at 1-1, Kirkham scored goal number 14 on the season with only 2 seconds remaining to give the Mustangs the lead to close out the frame.
Despite committing back-to-back penalties midway through the third and a nearly identical shot total, Western kept hold of their one-goal lead and eventually doubled it on Chiarello's power play goal with five minutes left in the contest, before securing the 4-1 win with an empty net goal in the final minute.
The Mustangs have an extended break before they attempt to extend their win streak to three when they return to action on Friday, February 3, at 7 p.m. against the Queen's Gaels at Thompson Arena.
