Box Score SUDBURY, Ont. – The Laurentian Voyageurs' 2-1 win against the Western Mustangs was decided in the first period Saturday afternoon at Countryside Arena.
 
Western's lone gone was scored by rookie Brooke Dicicco. Laurentian's offence was provided by the team's scoring leader Julia Giannitsopoulos and Gabrielle Jex. 
 
The Mustangs shut out the Voyageurs 6-0 at their last match-up, so Laurentian was looking for a big comeback for today's game.
 
Western was awarded the first power play six minutes into the first frame. The Mustangs got some shots on Karen Collins, and April Clark almost scored but missed an open net. 
 
The Voyageurs had more luck on their power play halfway through the period. Giannitsopoulos, with help from Taylor Weber and Carley Olivier, shot past Carmen Lasis' high glove to mark the first goal of the day twelve minutes in.
 
Less than three minutes later, Laurentian struck again. Three seconds into their second power play, Jex received the puck from Giannitsopoulos and Madison Heeney and put it in the back of the net. This raised the Voyageurs' season power play goals to 10, good for fifth in the OUA.
 
On the Mustangs' 13th shot of the day, they finally beat Collins. Dicicco picked up Beatrice Dufour's low rebound and brought the score to 2-1 with 11 seconds left. Western outshot Laurentian 13-7 in the first frame.
 
The Mustangs were back on the penalty kill not even one minute into the second period. Thus far, the Voyageurs had gone two for two on the power play, but Western blocked them on their third. 
 
In the last few minutes of the frame, the Mustangs played aggressively in the defensive zone, blocking shots with their bodies and tying up sticks. Western more than doubled Laurentian's shots at 11-5, but neither team found success in the second period. 
 
Four minutes into the final frame, Clark and Sydnee Baker sped up the ice together, passing back and forth. Clark made it past the Voyageurs' defence and faced Collins one-on-one in the slot. The crossbar stopped the puck and the Mustangs' chance to tie up the score.
 
After a Voyageurs' icing call, Western called a timeout and pulled Lasis with four minutes of play to go. 
 
Clark took a penalty with less than two minutes left to stop a potential empty-netter, and the Mustangs had to play the rest of the game shorthanded. Although Western had many good shots, Collins' proved to be the game's MVP, stopping all but one of the Mustangs' 33 shots.
 
The Mustangs sit second in the OUA with 40 points at 12-4-0-4. Laurentian passed York in the standings with the win and now are placed fourth last with a record of 5-11-1-3.
 
Western will return to home ice next Saturday when they go head to head with the Guelph Gryphons at 7:00pm. Fans can catch the action live at OUA.tv