LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs men's soccer team fell to a tenacious Laurier Golden Hawks lineup in a 1-0 loss on Saturday afternoon at Mustang Field.

"It certainly wasn't our best performance," said head coach Rock Basacco, following the tight loss. "We just couldn't seem to catch fire out there today. Overall, I just don't think we came out with the intensity necessary to beat a team like Laurier who's always going to come out firing."

With the loss, the Mustangs move to 7-4-3 on the season with two games remaining on the schedule, and can finish no lower than fourth in the OUA West, guaranteeing home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Golden Hawks win will improve their record to 4-7-3 and move into sixth place in the West.

The first half was highlighted by the physicality of both defences, as neither side allowed a quality chance for the opposing offence during the first 20 minutes. The Western offence started off slow and could not find its footing early. Laurier found their best chance of the half with a strike off the crossbar, but the rebound would be cleared by Western's Chuka Ononye.

Laurier's offensive intensity was sparked in the second half, but a strong showing from defenders Jonathan Hodge and Ononye kept their opponents from creating quality opportunities.

Reza Nafar nearly put Western on the board with a penalty kick near the midway point of the second half, but was just off the mark. Soon after, Laurier's Marik Bronfield would put the Golden Hawks on the board with a shot from just inside the box to give Laurier the 1-0 advantage in the 66th minute. The Mustangs continued to create chances but were unable to convert, with Laurier claiming a 1-0 win.

"We've locked down fourth place in the division, so that's something we have to get prepared for looking forward; we can't allow ourselves to get bogged down by this loss. That's all we can do," said Basacco, looking towards the upcoming postseason. "I have a feeling the level of intensity won't be an issue when it comes to the playoffs; these guys are ready to step up."

"We came out a little flat no doubt, and that's something we have to iron out in these next couple games before post-season action. We started the game too conservatively and that gave them too many chances, but I know we're the type of team to bounce back and move forward," said fifth-year veteran Aaron Schneebeli.

The Mustangs will be back in action tomorrow, October 14, when they will travel to Waterloo to take on the Warriors. Game time is set for 6:15 p.m. at Warriors Field.