Coming off of two victories this past weekend against the Waterloo Warriors and the second place Ryerson Rams, the Western Mustangs have improved to 7-9-2, and occupy the eighth and final playoff spot in the OUA West as the season approaches the home stretch. The Mustangs will look to extend their current three game win streak, which is the longest win streak of their season to date, with a rematch against Waterloo at home on Friday night, before facing off against the York Lions on Saturday night.

Trevor Warnaar leads the way for the Mustangs offence with 12 goals and four assists for 16 points in 18 games. Warnaar scored two of the Mustangs five goals against the Warriors on Friday night, netting the first and fourth goals of the game to move into eighth among all OUA players. Rob Polesello has also played a big role in the Western offence this season, with his three goals and 15 assists putting him on a point per game pace so far this year.

After missing most of the first half due to injury, Luke Peressini has returned to the crease for the Mustangs and played an integral role in both wins this past weekend. In his three games with the team Peressini has recorded a .938 save percentage, and has a 2.35 goals against average. Peressini is one of five goaltenders that the team has used over the course of the season, and his return will provide some stability in that position.

Western vs Waterloo – Friday, January 12^th, at 7:00 p.m. – Watch live on OUA.tv

Western will face off against the Warriors for the second time in a week with a chance to win the season series on Friday night. The Warriors are currently in tenth in the OUA West, with a 5-10-3 record, and sit three points behind Western for the final playoff spot.

Keigan Goetz packs a punch for the Warriors up front, leading his team with nine goals and 13 points. The rookie forward is complemented by Daniel Perigo, who also has 13 points, as well as Joey Champigny, who has six goals of his own.

In net, the goaltending tandem of Mike Morrison and Trevor Martin have combined for an .882 save percentage, splitting the games right down the middle between the two of them. The Mustangs will want to repeat their performance in their last game against the Warriors, that saw the purple and white get out to a fast start with three first period goals.

This will be the third and final match up this season between these two teams, with the Warriors taking the first game by a score of 9-3, before the Mustangs got their revenge with a strong 5-1 performance last week. Both teams will be vying for the final two points up for grabs in the season series as they push towards the playoffs.

Western at York – Saturday, January 13^th, at 7:00 p.m. – Watch live on OUA.tv

The Mustangs will close out their weekend schedule with a tough road matchup against the York Lions on Saturday. The Lions are currently in fourth in the OUA West, and have an 11-7-1 record. The Mustangs have struggled with the Lions as of late, with their last win coming almost exactly two years ago, earning a 3-2 decision in Toronto on January 16^th, 2016.

Second year Josh LaFrance is leading the way for the Lions, with eight goals and two assists in 18 games. LaFrance isn't the only player with a scoring touch on York, with 15 different players notching goals so far this season, along with 20 different players getting on the scoresheet and earning points for the team.

The Lions have also benefitted from solid defence and stable goaltending, with Alex Fotinos and Mack Sheilds splitting games between the two of them, and posting a collective .912 save percentage and a 2.91 goals against average. Special teams are also a strength of the Lions, with their penalty kill boasting an 89% success rate that puts them at the top of the OUA rankings.

The last time these two teams played each other, York came out on top, earning a tightly contested 5-4 shootout win. Nothing larger than a two goal lead was ever on the board, with the Mustangs tying things up in the final ten minutes of the game to earn one point in the loss. This matchup will be the second and final meeting between these two teams this season, with a big two points on the line for the Mustangs.