London, ON - The Men's Lacrosse team opened the 2022 season this past weekend with wins on the road against both McMaster and Toronto, going 2-0 to start the season.

In what was the first game of their double header weekend, the Mustangs went up against a resilient and hard-nosed McMaster group. Despite an excellent effort from Aidan Colebrook at the faceoff X, Western trailed 3-1 after the first quarter. 

Great leadership from some veteran players gave the Mustangs the jump they needed as they responded with a tremendous second quarter which saw outstanding defensive play from senior George Moroney and from senior captain and goaltender Michael Orlando. A well distributed offensive second quarter from the Mustangs gave them a 6-3 lead at the end of the second. 

Max Brooks led the charge with two early goals, followed by a pair from Christopher Da Silva and a single from Jacob Hickey. The Mustangs didn't stop there as their momentum led them through halftime and into the second half, another strong offensive quarter, alongside stellar defensive efforts by the entire Mustangs back end. The 'Stangs were up 9-3 heading into the final quarter. 

Western finished the game with a commanding 12-3 win, with notable efforts going to George Moroney on the back end who solidified his game with crucial ground balls and sound positioning on the penalty kill. Aidan Colebrook stepped into the faceoff circle and left his mark, winning a majority of faceoffs which earned him the MVP of the game. 

The purple and white saw distribution from all areas of the field, from all midfield and attack lines. As the game went on, the 'Stangs continued to buy into the team system. 

"We had a bit of a shaky start, but that's expected for the first game of the year," said Michael Orlando. Orlando added that once the nerves were out, the team put forth a great effort and allowed them to jump out to a 1-0 record to start the season.

It was a quick turnaround for the team as they regrouped and headed to the University of Toronto to hunt for a 2-0 record on Sunday. 

The Mustang's saw themselves in early penalty trouble that allowed for a close first quarter. Goals from Christopher Da Silva and Aaron Ward allowed the 'Stangs to keep it 2-2 after the first quarter. 

A well-oiled leadership group from the Mustangs provided a hunger and determination that the Varsity Blues were not prepared for. With a pair of beautiful goals from Pierson Noble and singles from Jacob Hickey, Chris Dong, Christopher Da Silva and George Moroney, the Mustang's led 8-2 going into halftime.

The dominance didn't stop there, as Aidan Colebrook continued to look strong in the faceoff X and some offensive poise by Jack Accursi helped lead the charge for the purple and white. Secondary offense from long-pole Kaz Nizielski and Brady Sprague gave Western the spark they needed and a commanding 11-4 lead. 

Jacob Hickey would later add another tally, putting the game out of reach for the Varsity Blues. The 'Stangs sealed the deal with a 12-5 victory and improved to 2-0 on the season as a result.

"We as a team are getting better at our two man game, as well as our pick and rolls," said Pierson Noble. Noble also added that better communication and leadership both on and off the field contributed to the depth of Western being able to get more opportunities on both sides of the ball.

The Mustangs have one of the biggest challenges of the year, a rematch of the play-in game from 2021, next Sunday, September 25th at the University of Guelph. Gametime is at 1pm.