KINGSTON, Ont. – It was about as closely-contested a game that the Mustangs have played all year, but unfortunately the Mustangs came away on the wrong end of a 5-4 overtime loss against the RMC Paladins at Constantine Arena on Friday night.
 
During a wild, open 3-on-3 overtime period, Riley Brandt broke free from a defender at mid-ice and converted a breakaway goal, unassisted, beating Western goaltender Brendan McGlynn at the 3:31 mark of the extra frame to secure the win.
 
It was a disappointing loss for the Mustangs, their sixth straight, as they appeared poised to snap their losing skid late into the third period. In fact, they were only six seconds short. Trailing 4-3 late in the third, RMC, with their goalie pulled, managed to tie things up when Cameron Lamport notched his second score of the period.
 
The win was the Paladins' fourth in their last five games, improving their record to 4-8-2 on the season. With the loss, the Mustangs fall to 3-8-2, as they remain at the bottom of the OUA's West Division standings.
 
RMC got on the scoreboard first Friday night, as Bruce Hornbrook took a pass in the slot and delivered home his fourth goal of the season to put the Paladins ahead 1-0 just 1:47 into the game. The Mustangs responded, less than five minutes later, as Trevor Warnaar knocked home a one-timer on the power play to knot things up at one goal apiece.
 
The Paladins started the scoring again in the second, as Hornbrook notched his second of the game at the 7:50 mark to give RMC a 2-1 lead. But then the Mustangs owned the scoresheet for the next 20 minutes. Just 46 seconds after going down 2-1, Western's Spenser Cobbold scored to even things at 2-2. Then, with just over six minutes left in the second period, Cordell James gave the Mustangs their first lead of the contest with a power play goal to make it 3-2.
 
Warnaar struck again in the third for his second goal of the game (and sixth of the season) at the 7:46 mark to put Western up 4-2. It was a lead that they held until the 16:31 mark, when Lamport scored his first of two third-period goals. The second, with just six seconds remaining in the game, was the backbreaker, and it sent the Paladins into overtime with the momentum. Brandt finished things off with his breakaway marker for the win.
 
Steven Beyers and Ray Huether had two assists apiece for the Mustangs during Friday's contest, while RMC's Nicholas Bissonnette also assisted on a pair of goals. McGlynn made 33 saves on the night, while his counterpart, Daniel Vautour, turned away 28 shots.
 
The Mustangs will hit the ice again tomorrow night, Saturday, November 25, when they take on the Queen's Gaels at 7:30 p.m. Fans can follow the action live on OUA.tv.