OSHAWA, Ont.--The Western Mustangs scored twice in the final frame to beat the UOIT Ridgebacks 2-1 Saturday afternoon at the Campus Ice Centre.
Western's goals were scored by Alyssa Chiarello and Rachel Armstrong, marking their seventh and fifth goals. UOIT's lone point was attributed to Chelsea Ball, who tallied her fourth of the season.
The Mustangs outshot the Ridgebacks 15-9 in the first frame, but neither team could make it past the goaltenders.
They both had one power play opportunity in the first. Western had an impressive penalty kill, keeping UOIT in the neutral zone for much of their penalty. The Mustangs then fired seven shots on Brooke Vial during their power play, but the Ridgebacks cleared the puck four times, and Vial displayed good rebound control to keep them off the board.
Twenty-eight seconds into the second period, UOIT marked the first point of the day. Ball, assisted by Nicole Zabel and Kassidy Nauboris, shot from an almost 180-degree angle from the net to make it past Carmen Lasis.
With nine minutes left, Sydnee Baker nearly tied the score up for the Mustangs as it was unclear if the puck passed the goal line. The referee ruled it was not a goal, and the Ridgebacks protected their lead.
Western's special teams did not show well in the second frame. Their penalty kill was less aggressive than in the first period, but while they struggled to clear the puck, UOIT did not beat Lasis. The Ridgebacks' penalty kill, on the other hand, was strong and limited Western opportunities.
Chiarello tied up the score with six minutes of play left in the final frame. Armstrong fed her the puck, and she skated across the net, beating UOIT's defence and goaltender Vial.
With three minutes to go, Armstrong netted her own puck to bring Western to a 2-1 lead on the Mustangs' fifth shot of the period. She fired a one-timer at the top of the net off a pass from April Clark in the corner.
Western remains in second after the win, three points behind league leader Guelph with a record of 11-3-0-4. UOIT sits at 6-10-0-1, tied for fourth last place.
The Mustangs head to North Bay next Friday to face the Nipissing Lakers at 5:00pm. Tune in to OUA.tv to watch the action live.
