LONDON, Ont. – Playing on home ice at the Thompson Arena on Sunday afternoon for the final time in the regular season, the Western Mustangs won a hard-fought game by a score of 3-1 over the UOIT Ridgebacks.

The victory is Western's fifth in a row, the longest active streak in the OUA, and moves them up to fifth place in the standings. Up by five points on the currently ninth-ranked Brock Badgers, the Mustangs can clinch a playoff spot in what has been a tightly contested conference by winning their final game of the season or if Brock loses either of their final two games.

As part of Senior Day, graduating players were honoured at centre ice before the game with the whole experience seeming to give the players an edge throughout the game.

"The younger girls did a really good job of making the seniors feel special," Mustangs head coach Kelly Paton said about the pre-game celebrations, "and we could tell from off-ice warmup through on-ice warmup that they were going to bring a lot of energy to the game today. With more friends and family in the stands, I'm sure that was an easy motivator for them to play well."

Western gained momentum early on by earning back-to-back power play opportunities midway through the period. While they did not record a shot on target on the first chance, they did capitalize on the second; in somewhat ironic fashion on Senior Day, the Mustangs took the lead courtesy of a power play goal scored by freshman Alyssa Chiarello. Western doubled their lead less than two minutes later when defenceman Brianna Rice scored her first goal of the season on a weak shot from the point that leaked through goaltender Briar Hughes' legs.

The pacing of the game changed in the second period with neither team committing a penalty after five total power play opportunities took place in the first. Western got the puck to the net and nearly capitalized on several rebound opportunities in front but could not add to their lead. In fact, that lead was narrowed to one when veteran UOIT forward Jenna Carter found the back of the net on a shot attempt from the wing late in the period to give the Ridgebacks some momentum heading into the second intermission.

UOIT continued to get strong goaltending in the final period courtesy of Tori Campbell, who came in relief of starter Hughes to begin the frame. Both teams exchanged penalties in the latter half of the period, but Campbell as well as Western starter and senior Katie Jacobs stopped each shot they faced until the final minutes of the period.

With under two minutes remaining and on the power play, Western captain and senior Emma Pearson was credited for a goal when she fired a puck from the blue line that found its way through traffic in front of the net, to secure the victory for the purple and white.

"I just looked up to pass but the passing lane wasn't there," Pearson commented on her goal. "I tried to take a quick shot on net because we had traffic and it went in, so it worked out."

The Mustangs play one more regular season game before the playoffs get underway as they take on the Queen's Gaels on Saturday, February 18 at 7 p.m. at the Napanee Arena.

"We know they're going to be gunning for us since we snapped their [winning] streak," said Pearson, referring to the victory earlier in the month that snapped an eight-game streak for the Gaels. "Even though we may clinch a playoff spot before then it's still going to be important to see if we can get higher up in the standings."