After earning back-to-back wins over the Laurentian Voyageurs and the Nipissing Lakers in their final weekend series of 2017, the Mustangs are back in Alumni Hall to kick off 2018 with a Friday night matchup against the Laurier Golden Hawks.

The Mustangs improved their record to 6-5 on the season, as they currently sit in fifth place in a closely contested OUA West division. The team sits just a half-game behind Lakehead, McMaster, and Laurier, as they will look to earn a victory over the Golden Hawks in order to move into fourth in the divisional standings.

December 1 saw the Mustangs host the Laurentian Voyageurs in a school-day game, as Alumni Hall was packed to the rafters with well over a thousand cheering fans. The Mustangs harnessed the energy of the crowd to begin the game and give themselves an early lead. The Voyageurs battled to keep the game within reach, but huge performances from Julia Curran and Mackenzie Puklicz, putting up 26 points and 30 points, respectively, would push the Mustangs to a 78-74 victory in front of the hometown crowd.

The following night had the Mustangs take on the Nipissing Lakers in their first meeting of the season in Alumni Hall. The Mustangs started off slow to begin the night, as the Lakers went on a strong run to end the first half, but Western would rally their defence in the second half, earning a 58-42 victory in a low-scoring defensive showdown.

Western vs. Laurier– Friday, January 5 at 6:00 p.m. - Watch live at OUA.tv

The Mustangs will be looking to come back from their month-long hiatus rejuvenated as they take on the Laurier Golden Hawks for an interdivisional matchup in their first meeting of the season. The Golden Hawks will enter Friday's game with a 6-4 record on the season, sitting just above the Mustangs for fourth place in the OUA West division.

Laurier has proven to be consistently competitive through the first half of the season, showing the ability to put points up on the board, while locking down on the defensive end of the floor. The Golden Hawks have held opponents to 36.9% from the field and allow a respectable 66.8 points per game. On the offensive side of the ball, Laurier has proven the ability to shoot the ball from deep, making seven threes per game while ranking top-ten in assists and turnovers per game.

Western, who has been one of the top perimeter defences in the OUA so far this season, will be put to the test against a Laurier team which has cemented its identity as a team who moves the ball with consistency and takes care of possessions.

The Golden Hawks will be led by Nicole Morrison, who has shouldered the load for the Laurier offence this season, averaging 19.8 points per game while adding 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. However, holding such a large responsibility in the offence has forced Morrison into 4.1 turnovers per game, an area that the Mustangs will be looking to exploit.