Box Score Ottawa, ON – The Mustangs fell 2-1 on penalty shots to the Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday night in the OUA Final Four Semi-Finals.
After a change in schedule due to weather, Both teams kept up some solid pressure under some windy conditions in the first half.
Western was able to outshoot the Varsity Blues 6-2 in the first half but neither side was able to find the back of the net as it was 0-0 through 45 minutes.
In the 69th minute, the Varsity Blues tried to make a push for the net off a cross-kick. Mustangs goaltender Megan Girardi made a pair of point-blank saves to keep the game at 0-0.
Regulation wouldn't be enough to decide this one, so we were off to overtime.
In the 15th minute of extra time, The Mustangs were finally able to strike. Off a corner kick, the ball curled towards the net and Giulia Geraci got the last touch on the ball before it slid into the Toronto goal to take the 1-0 lead.
The Varsity Blues would respond quickly as Miranda Badovinac would take the ball in and get an unassisted goal just 56 seconds after the Mustangs scored to even the game at 1-1.
The game would require penalty kicks to determine who would advance to the gold medal game.
Toronto's Krizia Tarantino & Western's Giulia Geraci would each score on their team's first shots. Maddie Mackay of the Varsity Blues scored on her shot in the 2nd round while Western's Sabine Gillie-Hardy hit the outside post. Both Toronto's Alessia Cusimano & Western's Melanie Walters scored in the 3rd round. Mustangs goaltender Megan Girardi made a spectacular save on Toronto's Jenny Wolever in the 4th round and Western's Nikki Balachorek would step up and ring the ball off the crossbar keeping penalties at 3-2. Toronto had a chance to put the game away, but Kristin Parkes sent the ball wide of the net. Western's Maddy Skinner had her chance to tie the game but Varsity Blues goaltender Levanta Staggolis made the save to preserve the win for Toronto
Girardi made 6 saves for the Mustangs on the night.
Western heavily outshot the Varsity Blues in this one, 19-12.
The Mustangs will now play for bronze Saturday at 11:00 am. You can watch the action on OUA.tv.
