Guelph, Ont. – The Western Mustangs traveled to Guelph for game three of their Queen's Cup West Finals series Sunday night. All the adversity that the Mustangs had faced during the season would come down to this game. A single contest with the Guelph Gryphons would decide which team advanced to the Queen's Cup Final and who was headed for the OUA bronze medal game.

The game got off to about as bad a start for Western as it could have. A miscommunication behind the Mustangs net resulted in a turnover that allowed the Gryphons to score the first goal of the game on an open net.

The game would soon settle down after the goal as both teams found it harder to generate offensive opportunities. This would be how the first period ended as the two teams skated into the intermission with Guelph up 1-0.

Guelph believed it had scored the second goal of the game on a scramble in front early in the second period. The net had come off of its moorings, however, resulting in the goal being called off and the Mustangs' deficit remaining at just one goal.

This proved to be a crucial moment as Western would answer with a goal of their own minutes later to tie the game. The goal came from Sean Montgomery who has absolutely exploded in the playoffs and become one of the team's most important contributors.

The Mustangs took their first lead of the game towards the end of the second period when a puck was redirected past the Guelph goaltender on a shot that he had no chance of seeing. The goal would allow Western to go into second intermission with a 2-1 lead and the chance to close out the Gryphons and head to Halifax. 

Guelph wasn't going to go quietly in this winner-take-all game. The Gryphons tied the game at two goals five minutes into the third period, setting up a dramatic end to the game. Guelph wasn't done, however, as they added another goal a few minutes later to take back the one-goal lead.

Guelph added to their lead with six minutes to play to add an insurance marker. The two-goal lead with just six minutes left to play all but put the game out of reach for the Mustangs. There was still plenty of fight left in the purple-and-white, however, as they scored a goal to bring the game to within one with an empty net and just a minute to play.

While they were resilient to the end, it wasn't to be. The Mustangs were unable to find the game-tying goal.

Westerns focus now shifts to the OUA bronze medal game where they will take on Concordia, who lost the east final to Ottawa. The winner of that game will earn a berth to the U SPORTS National Championship in Halifax, NS starting March 12-15.

Full details on the bronze medal game will be released in the days to come.