London, Ont. – The Western Mustangs returned home Saturday afternoon for game two of their second-round playoff matchup with the Ryerson Rams. The Mustangs fell to the Rams in Toronto in game one, making this a do-or-die affair.

With their season on the line, the Mustangs started the game going to the penalty box early on. The early penalty-killing scenario lead to an early deficit, as a Ram that was stationed out in front of the net deflected the first goal of the game home.

A few minutes later, the Mustangs earned a powerplay opportunity of their own. The extra-man unit never really got set up in the offensive zone, and a golden opportunity to reset the game seemed to be slipping away.

Western's fortunes would change in the second half of the powerplay when they finally got set in the zone. The sustained pressure resulted in special-teams goal for the Mustangs as Anthony Stefano fired home the puck.

Western took their first lead of the game shortly after that on a chaotic play that started with a bone-crunching hit on the blueline. The ensuing turnover lead to a deflected goal that beat the Ryerson net-minder.

The Rams soon answered with another goal that came from an unfortunate turnover by the Western goaltender, Luke Peressini. Sean Montgomery spoke about the early chaos after the game.

"We just tried to tell ourselves it was early in the game. Make sure we're still playing our style. Probably a bit of nerves on both sides and it just ended up being a pretty crazy time."

The two goals in quick succession would set the stage for the frantic pace the game was played at over the next several minutes. As both teams ratcheted up the scoring chances and physical play, it seemed inevitable that one team would make a mistake.

That mistake was Ryerson's, as the Rams would soon to be sent to the penalty box, giving Western yet another powerplay opportunity. The Mustangs soon took a penalty of their own to even it up at 4 men a piece.

Ryerson was unable to convert on the ensuing powerplay and would commit another penalty soon after.

Western did capitalize on this chance with a shot that beat the Rams goaltender over the glove to give them a lead with just a minute to play in the period.

The period was nearly over but did not end without another penalty being called, this time on the Mustangs. Before the whistle sounded, a scrum broke out sending players from both Western and Ryerson to the box. The tensions in this important game were palpable as tempers flared.

Despite a flurry of activity, the first period ended with the Mustangs taking a 3-2 lead to the locker room.

The second period took a much calmer tempo but was not without its' flare-ups, as the Mustangs once again went to the penalty kill with 13 minutes left in the period. The Mustangs successfully killed that chance to maintain their one-goal lead.

As is often the case after a chaotic first period, the second frame was far less eventful. Both teams were held scoreless through most of the period, setting up a crucial last five minutes that would decide who had a hill to climb in the third.

The Rams would seize control of the play, setting up in their offensive zone for a full minute, pumping chances at the Western net. Ryerson would proverbially shoot themselves in the foot, however, when they were called for another penalty that took the pressure off the Mustangs.

This opportunity did not afford Western insurance in the form of another goal, but it did allow them to make it out of the second period with a one-goal lead intact, setting up a crucial third frame with the Mustangs' season on the line.

The third period began with both teams playing at a quick tempo. The game came to a halt when a collision at centre-ice shook up a Mustang player.

Shortly after that, Ryerson would earn the first powerplay of the third frame after they rang a shot off the post. The Rams were unable to sustain any meaningful pressure on the powerplay, with Western preserving their lead.

Moments after the Mustangs penalty ended, they flipped the script and scored a goal of their own, pushing the lead to two goals with 10 minutes left to play. Franco Sproviero scored the goal that gave the Mustangs a crucial insurance marker.

Ryerson carved another path to the penalty box soon after when they were whistled for a cross check. The ensuing powerplay resulted in yet another goal, this time put home by Sean Montgomery. The goal was Montgomery's second of the game and would stand as the final goal. 

Western would go on to win the game 5-2, staving off elimination in game two just as they did in the first playoff series. Head Coach Clark Singer spoke about the win after the game. 

"I thought we played a good game. The first five minutes isn't exactly what we wanted, but after we got that first goal it was a really good game. Everyone responded and got it going."

The Mustangs head to Toronto for a decisive game three against the Ryerson Rams tomorrow night.