ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – Goals from four different players helped the Western Mustangs top the U SPORTS No. 9 Brock Badgers 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at the Seymour-Hannah Centre.
 
With the win, the Mustangs move into third place in the OUA standings with a 7-1-3-2 record, just one point behind the Badgers at 7-2-3-1. Saturday's win also makes the Mustangs one of only three teams to best the Badgers in regulation time this year, alongside the Queen's Gaels and Nipissing Lakers.
 
Evra Levesque, Emma Pearson, Rachel Armstrong, and Alyssa Chiarello each hit the back of the net in the win, while both of Brock's goals were scored Amanda Ieradi, bringing her season total to eight and sitting behind only April Clark (11) on the OUA leaderboard.
 
A Badgers penalty provided the Mustangs with an early opportunity, and the Levesque sisters capitalized just 10 seconds into the power play as Edie Levesque quickly found Evra Levesque after the faceoff, setting her up for a quick goal and giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
 
Western didn't wait long to push their lead to two goals, as captain Pearson sent the puck past Badgers netminder Jensen Murphy on the glove side a little less than three minutes later to make it 2-0 for the Mustangs.
 
The Mustangs continued to play an aggressive offensive game moving into the second period and concentrate traffic in front of Brock's net.
 
It would be the number of bodies in the zone that would ultimately lead to the third Mustang goal, as Armstrong sent the puck top shelf and into the back of the net while Murphy was being screened by one of her defencemen.
 
The Badgers responded by intensifying their own offensive effort and getting a few more shots on Carmen Lasis, but the rookie stood tall and fended off another seven shots to maintain her team's lead.
 
Brock wouldn't get on the board until the third period, when Ieradi broke away from the Mustang defenders and sent the puck off the crossbar and behind Lasis. She followed up with a second goal just over three minutes later, narrowing the score to 3-2.
 
Meanwhile, the Mustangs were adjusting to a new presence in the crease as Julia Pettella stepped in for Murphy. The second-year goaltender has only played in two other games this season, and only hit the ice once last year.
 
Chiarello was the only Mustang to beat Pettella, scoring with less than five minutes remaining, burying a rebound off of a shot from Amanda Pereria that bounced off Pettella's pad and into Chiarello's path. Hers would be the final goal scored in the game, giving the Mustangs a 4-2 victory.
 
The win brings an end to the first half of the Mustang schedule, with the team taking a break until the New Year. When they return Western will welcome Waterloo to Thompson Arena on January 4, followed by a matchup against the Varsity Blues on January 6.