The Mustangs will be hitting the road for game one of a best-of-three series against the Guelph Gryphons in an OUA Semifinal matchup beginning this Wednesday in Guelph, Ont.

Western will be coming into the pairing after sweeping the Toronto Varsity Blues in the OUA Quarterfinals this past week, clinching the series with a win on the road.

Despite the sweep, the series didn't come easy for the purple and white, as game one was decided in an overtime thriller.

Neither team would find the back of the net through the first period, but Western's Catherine O'Connor would open the scoring for the Mustangs with a shorthanded goal late in the second. It looked as though Western would walk away with a victory midway through the third period following a goal from Alyssa Chiarello gave the Mustangs a 2-0 advantage, but back-to-back goals from the Varsity Blues late in the frame would force overtime.

However, Chiarello would once again come through for the Mustangs, setting up Shailyn Waites for the overtime goal to give the Mustangs a 3-2 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

The Mustangs found themselves on the road for game two of the series, as they looked to clinch the series with a win in enemy territory. Penalties would prove to be the story of the game, as Toronto scored early off a power play goal, only to be matched by Western late in the first period with a goal on their own man advantage.

With the game deadlocked at 1-1 in the second, Chiarello would once again come up big for the purple and white, netting back-to-back goals in the period and assisting on a third as Evra Levesque gave Western a commanding 4-1 lead. Toronto would add one more to their total before the end of the period, but it would prove to be too little as Western walked away with the 4-2 victory and the series.

Western vs Guelph - OUA Semifinals
Game One: Wednesday, February 28 - 7:30 p.m. - Western at Guelph - Tune in live on OUA.tv and Radio Western 94.9 FM
Game Two: Friday, March 2 - 7 p.m. - Guelph at Western - Tune in live on OUA.tv and Radio Western 94.9 FM
Game Three (IF NECESSARY): Sunday, March 4 - 2 p.m. - Western at Guelph - Tune in live on OUA.tv and Radio Western 94.9 FM

Despite already holding a spot in the U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship as the host team, the Mustangs will be looking to improve their seeding with a series-win over a Gryphons team which has had their number so far this season.

It was a tightly contested overtime loss for the purple and white in their first meeting with Guelph this season.

The Gryphons came out of the gate firing to begin the game, scoring three unanswered goals through the first two periods and holding a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the third. However, three unanswered goals from the purple and white would force an extra period, where Western's comeback would be spoiled by a Guelph goal just seconds into overtime.

In their second meeting coming later that same month, Guelph took control early and never looked back, scoring five straight goals to put Western in an early hole. The Mustangs once again tried to mount a comeback late in the game, led by back-to-back goals from April Clark, but the deficit would prove to be too much to overcome as Guelph walked away with a decisive 5-2 victory.

Despite being swept in the season series by the Gryphons, the Mustangs have looked incredible since the 5-2 blowout, boasting a 12-2 record and never allowing more than two goals since that previous meeting. However, the Gryphons hold home-ice advantage in the series and hold a dominating 10-2 record at home so far this season.

The Gryphons will certainly be testing Western goaltender Carmen Lasis, as Guelph currently sits fourth in the nation in goals per game, scoring 3.04 per contest while sitting fourth in goals against, allowing just 36 with a goals-against average of 1.5.

Ultimately, goaltending will most likely prove to be the difference maker, as the two teams are separated by an incredibly small differential in terms of save percentage, Western holding a .934 save percentage while Guelph boasts a .935 mark.

The Gryphons will be led by veteran forwards Kaitlin Lowy and Kelly Gribbons. Lowy currently leads the team in goals with an incredible 15 goals and nine assists on the season while Gribbons sits just behind with 12 goals and 11 assists.

Both players have dominated against the purple and white this season, each scoring two goals against Western in the two games they've played, as they'll look to continue this production in their upcoming series.