GUELPH, Ont. - Fourth-year striker Lucas Ventura earned the game-winning goal to lead the Western men's soccer team to a 6-5 shootout victory to upset the Guelph Gryphons and punch their ticket to the OUA semifinals.

Ventura, who scored two goals throughout the regular season, netted the game's final goal in the eighth round of the shootout to give Western the narrow victory. Mustang goalkeeper Kody Thompson, who has been stellar all season, once again proved why he is among the best in the country, making six saves in regulation and three in the shootout.

Guelph entered today's game as the No. 2 seed in the OUA West division and proved why throughout the majority of the game, controlling the ball and earning twice as many shots on goal as the purple and white. However, an ability to play physical defence and compete for a full 90 minutes allowed Western to head into overtime at a 0-0 draw. The overtime period was much of the same for the purple and white, as Thompson was able to hold off the Guelph offence to force a shootout after the score remained deadlocked at 0-0.

Just as it did in regulation, the game remained back and forth into the shootout, as the teams were forced to go eight rounds before a game-deciding goal. However, after earning a shootout victory over Windsor this past Wednesday, Western seemed prepared to do so once again against one of the OUA's best, as Ventura's goal allowed the Mustangs to leave with a 6-5 shootout upset.

The Mustangs will be back in action this weekend where they will take on the York Lions in Toronto, Ontario.