LONDON, Ont. – Once again, Michael Coldwells led the team offensively, this time with two tries, to help carry the Western Mustangs men's rugby team to a 36-14 victory over the Trent Excalibur's this Friday on Alumni Field.
"To be honest, there wasn't a whole lot that I'd want to change from the guys today," said Mustangs' head coach Tom Dolezel, despite the team's slow start. "We went into this game with a lot of injuries. Trent doesn't necessarily have the wins this season, but they'll always force close games. They're a good team and a challenge, without a doubt. So, I'm happy with our performance; our defence was outstanding and our offence eventually got ticking as well. They did what I asked of them."
With the win, Western will improve to a 4-2 record on the season with only two games remaining this year as the team currently sits in fourth place in the OUA. Trent's loss will move the Excalibur to 0-6. They remain seated at the bottom of the OUA nearing the end of this regular season.
Coldwells, who has been piling up the tries for the purple and white this season, found himself leading the team against a physical opponent in Trent.
"I asked him to be captain today, and he stepped up and led the guys. He just took his game to another level, and that's hard for a guy to do when you're given a captain role, sometimes it can change how you play, but he's managed the role extremely well. He's been tearing it up for us all year," said Dolezel, commenting on Coldwells' performance.
"Honestly, I'm just playing the team-system. We're working to get our runners the ball, so I'm just out there trying to find space and trying to do whatever I can to help the team. This year, it seems like that means scoring points," said Coldwells.
Entering the contest with six key starters missing from their lineup due to injury, the Mustangs began the match slow offensively, but remained strong on the defensive side of the ball with consistent effort. Despite the slow start, Mustang, Michael Coldwells scored both of his tries midway through the half to give Western the early advantage. Trent came back nine minutes later to put the Excalibur on the board with a try from Curtis Murray and a conversion of their own, ultimately giving the Mustangs a 15-7 lead going into halftime.
The Mustangs came out firing in the second half, becoming more physical and asserting themselves offensively. Back-to-back tries from Keegan Matheson and Mahmud Sam would extend the Western lead to keep the game out of reach for the Excalibur. Trent would capitalize again, but it would ultimately not be enough in the eventual 36-14 win for the purple and white.
"We have Brock coming up, and of course they're going to be a tough opponent, but more importantly we have Guelph, the defending champions, in a couple weeks. So, it was important to have a chance to rest some of our injured players who we'll need in the weeks to come," said Coldwells.
"Every win and every point matters, so I'm thrilled we got both of those today. Next week, we just have to go out there and do it again," said Dolezel.
The Mustangs will be back in action next Saturday, October 14, when they host the Brock Badgers on Alumni Field in a match holding heavy playoff implications. The game is set to begin at 3:00 p.m.
