The Western Mustangs' women's ice hockey team lost 3-1 to the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday night at the North Bay Memorial Gardens.
 
Nipissing came into the game looking to extend their four-game win streak that started at the beginning of the season, while the Mustangs were hoping for results similar to their win over the Laurentian Voyageurs the previous night.
 
The game got off to a hot start as both teams exchanged great scoring chances barely a minute in. At the two-minute mark, forward Hannah Irwin, a North Bay native, was awarded a penalty shot after being dragged down on a breakaway. Unfortunately, she was unable to convert on the shot.
 
That opportunity seemed to spark the Lakers, however, as they went on to score three goals against the Mustangs in the first period. Maria Dominico and Melanie Young both scored off of a pass from the left side, going back door past Mustangs netminder Carmen Lasis' glove. The third goal came when a Laker outraced a Mustangs skater to beat out an icing that Lasis was signalling for, and batted the puck to the front of the net where Maggie McKee sniped it in. This dug a serious hole for the Mustangs, and was reminiscent of the game they dropped against the Guelph Gryphons last weekend.
 
The Mustangs didn't do themselves any favours to close out the period, as they went on the penalty kill twice – Emma Thomas went off for interference, and Brooke DiCicco took two minutes for slashing. The first intermission came, and though the shot count was even at eight for both teams, the Mustangs found themselves needing to erase a three-goal deficit.
 
In the second period, Western found themselves on the power play three consecutive times, and thankfully the Mustangs were able to convert on the last one midway through the frame, as DiCicco snuck in on the far side past all of the defenders, and skated up the slot to deflect in a slap shot from the point. Even though it started off as a Western offence heavy period due to the three power plays, the Lakers were quick to flip the game back to their favour as they spent a majority of the last minutes of the frame in Western's defensive zone. The Mustangs were able to close out the period by creating two two-on-one chances though, but Lakers goaltender Danika Ranger was able to cover up the first one from co-captain April Clark, and pressure from a defender prevented a great scoring chance from Hannah Irwin.
 
In the final frame, Western and Nipissing started off by emulating a track meet, as both teams raced up and down the ice, neither with great scoring opportunities. Eventually, the Lakers managed to keep entering Western's zone, and thought Western was able to clear quickly, they weren't able to enter their own offensive zone.
 
Five minutes in, Lakers forward Dominico took an interference penalty on DiCicco that would put the Mustangs on the player-advantage, but the Lakers were tenacious in using their sticks to get in the way of the Mustangs, eating up time on the penalty.
 
With just under seven minutes left in the game, it seemed that co-captain Renae Nevills was trying to instill some life in her team, but her physicality was too much for the referees as she was whistled twice for body-checking. The Mustangs, having held the Lakers at bay on the player-advantage thus far, were able to keep up their success on that aspect of the game, as they finished the night with a perfect penalty kill that went 4 for 4.
 
With under a minute left to play in the game, head coach Candice Moxley called a time out while simultaneously pulling Lasis from the net, allowing her team to set up a play with six players on the ice. The Mustangs managed a great scoring chance in front of the net, but were unable to convert.
 
Of note: in an attempt to clear the puck from the back of the Western net after an attempted empty-net goal by the Lakers, Western forward Jenna MacLean was tripped up and fell face first into the boards, unable to protect herself. The Western Mustangs wish her a speedy recovery, and that she'll be back on the ice with her teammates in no time.
 
The Western Mustangs dropped this tilt to the Nipissing Lakers 3-1. They'll look to get back on track next Friday, as they take on the Waterloo Warriors back on home ice at Thompson Arena. Tickets for the game can be purchased at the door, or at westernmustangs.ca/tickets.