LONDON, Ont. - This past weekend saw the Mustangs fall in a pair of competitive matchups against the Guelph Gryphons and the York Lions to conclude the regular season. The pair of losses placed Western in third place in the OUA West division standings heading into the playoffs, setting up a quarter-final matchup between the Mustangs and the sixth-seed Laurier Golden Hawks.
The Mustangs came into last weekend against Guelph with an undefeated record, but after facing the top-two teams in the division, Western will be heading into their meeting against Laurier with a final regular season record of 9-2-5 and plenty of injuries plaguing the roster.
"Injuries have had a huge impact on our season from the beginning and it's only gotten worse in the past couple of weeks," said first-year striker Katrina Giantsopolous following Sunday's loss to York. "We've had a lot of players step up and do really well in their absence, but missing our starting goalkeeper and a number of other key players has obviously affected us over the past two games."
However, despite the injuries throughout the season, Western has largely remained one of the most impressive teams the OUA has to offer and will be looking to bounce back this Wednesday against the Golden Hawks. In the two previous matchups between Western and Laurier this season, it was the Mustangs who came out on top in both games, winning 2-0 at home and 1-0 on the road later in the season.
Despite the low scoring totals in both games, Western dominated on both ends of the field against Laurier throughout season. The Mustangs out-shot the Golden Hawks 26-10 over the course of two games and controlled the ball with ease to help lead them to the victories. However, Western's ability to limit Laurier's shot attempts was not simply an anomaly in the two games. Throughout the season, Western managed to amount 10 shutouts on the year and has proven to be among the best in the province on both sides of the ball.
Heading into the playoffs, the Mustangs rank second in the OUA in goals scored, first in shot percentage, third in assists, third in shots on goal, and third in shutouts. As one of the youngest teams in the OUA, Western has done an exceptional job of rebuilding their program with young talent and finding success immediately. But Wednesday's game isn't a question of ability, but rather a question of whether the Mustangs can bounce back from a series of injuries to earn their way to the semifinals with a win over Laurier.
The Mustangs will be entering the quarter-finals humbled by a pair of losses over the weekend, but with the Golden Hawks looking for their first win since October 3, both teams will be heading into the postseason looking to regain some momentum. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:00 P.M. EST on Mustangs Field.
