London, ON – The Western Mustangs shutout the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-0 on Saturday night, granting them a four point weekend to start the second half of the season.
 
Western's goals came from Spenser Cobbold, Rylan Bechtel and Kyle Pettit. Mustang's goaltender Luke Peressini would get the shutout.
 
After an action-packed but almost scoreless period, the Mustangs put the first goal on the board with only 3 minutes left in the first frame.
 
Cobbold flew down the wing past the Varsity Blues bench, challenging a Toronto defenceman on a one-on-one. The Mustangs forward showcased some quick hands before snapping the puck over the shoulder of the Varsity Blues goaltender Alex Bishop, giving Western a one-goal lead entering the second period.  
 
Peressini made a clutch stick save half way through the second to keep Western's lead at one after Varsity Blues defenceman Justin Brand rifled a shot from the point.
 
"They were pretty close to outshooting us in the second period. They had definitely better scoring chances than we did so he made the big saves at the right moment," commented Mustangs assistant coach Patrick Ouellette on Peressini.
 
Minutes later, the Mustangs were granted get their first powerplay opportunity of the game, but the special teams unit was unable to capitalize.
 
Western would make up for the unsuccessful powerplay just five minutes afterwards when Mustangs forward Anthony Stefano slipped a crafty drop pass back to Bechtel, who found a way to sneak the puck past Bishop and into the back of the net.
 
"I just jumped into the play with Stefano and Huether, and Stefano just dropped it to me and I just went to the net with a shot and got lucky there, it went through the goalie," said Bechtel.
 
This goal provided Western with a two goal lead over the Varsity Blues after two periods of play.
 
In the dying minutes of the third period, Toronto made a desperate play for a goal, pulling Bishop in order to get an extra man on the ice. Pettit took advantage of the empty net, putting up one more insurance marker for the Mustangs.
 
"He's the reason why we are winning," said Ouellette on Peressini. "I don't think that we are playing solid and we are giving up too much, and his job is to make the saves and that's what he's doing right now, so hopefully he keeps going until the end of the season."
 
The Mustangs will host the Laurier Golden Hawks next on January 11 at 11:30am for a school day game. Fans can catch all the action live, at OUA.tv.