Box Score The Western women's ice hockey team have split their regular season series with the Waterloo Warriors, dropping this one 3-1 at Columbia Ice Field Arena.
 
After winning their previous matchup against the Warriors last weekend, the Mustangs knew going in exactly the kinds of challenges that Waterloo would present to them.
 
Said Head Coach Candice Moxley yesterday, "We just saw them, so we know that we need to stay out of the box because their powerplay's pretty solid, and they have some pretty skilled players who can shoot the puck. It's going to be playing that sound, defensive game that I'm sure the girls are sick of hearing, [it's] like a broken record. We need to capitalize on the opportunities that we do have – we're a pretty opportunistic team, but we need to make sure that we buckle down and we don't give up too much."
 
Though the Mustangs did end up in some penalty trouble, as they were whistled six times, their penalty kill stayed perfect throughout the game.
 
The first frame started with a lot of back and forth action through the neutral zone, as both teams created great scoring chances for themselves at even-strength, as well as on the powerplay. Both Waterloo and Western had the player-advantage once in the first period, and Waterloo gave the Mustangs a tough time, as their aggressive defence didn't allow for the Mustangs to set up very well. The Mustangs were phenomenal at blocking shots shorthanded, which has become a running theme this season, but continued to have trouble clearing the puck out of the zone, extending the shifts of the penalty killers on the ice.
 
In the dying seconds of the first, Warriors forward Samantha Burbridge went down on the forecheck, taking off two Western defenders before passing to a teammate, receiving the rebound on her teammate's shot, and popping it in past a sprawling Carmen Lasis in net. The goal would count with one second on the clock, and the Warriors would take a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
 
In the second period, Western went on the penalty kill twice early on, and again were extremely successful, though they did have trouble at times with clearing the zone. They were awarded two powerplays after that, and finally, with under a minute left in the second powerplay, Mustangs forward Sydnee Baker made a clean pass to the slot that was shot at the net by Emma Suitor, before picking up the rebound into an open net past Warriors netminder Mikayla Schnarr. This goal helped swing the momentum into the Mustangs' favour, as they continued to pile on the pressure against the Warriors. However, it may have been too much, as they were whistled for another penalty, which they killed, before the end of the period. Lasis did a great job in shutting the door in the final seconds to ensure that the Warriors didn't pot another late-period goal, and they went into the final frame tied 1-1 with Waterloo.
 
In the final frame, the Warriors pushed the Mustangs defensively, as they dominated the offensive side of the game at even-strength. The Mustangs were noticeably trying to rise to the intensity of the Warriors, but found themselves shorthanded just three minutes in. However, they were immediately rewarded with two powerplay opportunities. Despite being successful early on and scoring their only goal on the player-advantage so far, the Mustangs were not able to convert on these opportunities, as the first-ranked penalty kill in the league shut the 'Stangs down.
 
Immediately after Western's two opportunities on the player-advantage, Warriors forward Brooklyn Cole went on a breakaway towards the net. Though Western goaltender Carmen Lasis was able to make the first save, Mustangs defender Renae Nevills slid into the net with the momentum of her backcheck, and Warriors skater Taytum Clairmont was able to bank in the rebound to put the opponents up by one.
 
With two minutes left in the game, Moxley called the team in for a timeout, before putting the team out with an empty net and six skaters on the ice. Thought they were able to fire off several shots on net, Schnarr had a good look at all of them and was able to make the saves, before Warriors forward Emma Pye sailed the puck down the ice to set up Clairmont's second goal of the game, and empty-netter that sealed the deal for Waterloo.
 
The Western Mustangs will now look to regroup as they come home to practice for the week before heading off to Windsor to take on the Lancers on Saturday, November 23^rd at 4pm. The game can be streamed on oua.tv.