London, ON – The Mustangs' women's hockey team won their second game of the OUA regular season 3-2 against Brock University on Saturday evening.
 
The game was off to a quick start when first-year Janneke Watt received the puck off a battle behind the net and slid it between the pads of the Badgers' goaltender. In spite of the early, quick pace, the rest of the game would prove to be a battle between the two teams.
 
A 5 vs. 3 powerplay for Western a few minutes later left Brock pulling their goalie, but the Mustangs were unable to make use of the small window. They continued to put the pressure on the Badger's 'tender, Jensen Murphy, but were unable find an opportunity for the remainder of the first period.  
 
The second period began with the same intensity as the first, the Mustangs getting in several hard shots against Murphy with Brock struggling to retaliate. A long shot down the ice led Brock into Western's end, and with a scramble happening in front of the goaltender, Badger Amelia Lackie fired the puck that would go off of Mikayla Flanagan's shoulder and into the net of the Purple and White. The score tied 1-1, the Badgers picked up their intensity and posed a new challenge to the Mustangs for the second half of the game.
 
Flanagan scored her second goal of the game with just under ten minutes left in the second period. The forward sent a wrist shot that tipped off the goaltender's stick before inserting itself into the corner of the net, bringing Brock to a 2-1 lead. The Mustangs continued to battle for possession, and with two minutes left in the period, tied the game once more as Brooke DiCicco fired her second goal of the season into the net.   
 
When asked about the struggle that occurred during the first and second periods, Head Coach Candice Moxley had some input. "It's one of those things early on in the season, if things aren't clipping just the way you want them, that's fine. But later down the line we need to make sure we tighten things up. We did a good job getting pucks to the net but the secondary opportunities were just laying there and we were a little bit slower at getting to them."
 
The third period spiked in intensity as the two teams fought back and forth for possession.  Mustangs goaltender Tareya Webster blocked an influx of shots on net within the last twenty minutes of game, keeping her team in it. Western was unable to find any give with Murphy, and as the buzzer sounded, the teams prepared to go into a 3 vs. 3 overtime.
 
For seven minutes, Webster put up a strong battle defending the net as the Mustangs struggled to retaliate the shots that Brock ruthlessly delivered, but both teams were unable to find convert. The game shifted into a shootout with Webster successfully defending Brock's first shot, Sydnee Baker was  unable to find space within the Badgers' net. Emma Suitor of the Purple and White managed to sneak one past Murphy with a goal, Sarah Brooks of the Badgers quickly retaliated and brought the shootout to a tie at one each.
 
With the last shot of the game, Westerns April Clarke made a smooth deke on the Brock goal and slid the puck between the five hole of Murphy to take the game by a 3-2 score.
 
"This goalie is really good," Clarke offered. "I've been stoned by her a couple of times, but I knew that I just needed to get this one in… I knew what I was doing."

The win brings the Mustangs to a 2-0 record on the season and the Badgers to 1-1.
 
The Mustangs will return to the ice on Thursday, October 24^th on the road to  take on the Guelph Gryphons. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 P.M EST.