SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Two goals each from
Julia Crnjac and
Giulia Geraci led the Western Mustangs to a 7-0 win over the Algoma Thunderbirds on Sunday afternoon at Superior Heights Field.
The victory not only extends Western's winning streak to 11 games, but also clinches first place in the OUA West standings. With three games remaining on the Mustangs schedule the team has a 13-point lead over the Guelph Gryphons and Laurier Golden Hawks. Although the Gryphons have a game in hand on the purple and white, they won't be able to catch Western in the standings, paving the way for the Mustangs to take the top spot.
Crnjac and Geraci's goals were all in the first half, and came just a day after the duo combined for all five Western goals in the Mustangs 5-0 win over Algoma on Saturday. The trio of
Sophie Weaver,
Kendra Marlatt, and
Nicola Panaccione all scored one goal each in the second half to round out the scoring for the visiting side.
Megan Girardi earned her second clean sheet of the weekend, turning aside two shots in the win. Khadyja Claxton was a little busier in the Algoma net, making nine saves in the loss.
Crnjac got the scoring started for Western on Sunday, converting an assist from
Nikki Balachorek to put Western up 1-0 in the 18th minute.
Geraci made it a 2-0 lead just two minutes later with her first goal of the day, and Crnjac followed up in the 24th minute to extend the lead to 3-0 off an assit from
Alyssa DeSantis.
The Mustangs would get one more just prior to the end of the half with Geraci tallying her fifth goal of the weekend at the 43-minute mark. The first-year midfielder now has nine goals on the season, tying her for first place among
Western's rapid scoring pace continued in the second half, as Weaver found the back of the net just four minutes into the frame, with Marlatt doing the same only a minute later to give Western a 6-0 lead.
Panaccione rounded out the scoring at the 67-minute mark to give the Mustangs a 7-0 win.
Western will return home for their next contest as they'll welcome the Laurier Golden Hawks to Mustang Field on Saturday, October 14, in the Mustangs final home game of the regular season. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
