London, ON - "We know it will be a battle, but the women are ready for it", said Western Mustangs Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Garrett Loubert, as the Mustangs Women's Lacrosse team gear up for the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Lacrosse Championship this weekend, with the ultimate goal of winning the Patterson Cup.
 
The team heads into the championships with nine wins and one solitary loss this season, which came at the hands of the defending champions, and host, the Queen's Gaels. 
 
As the regular season comes to a close, Head Coach Garrett Loubert is proud of all the hard work the team has put in thus far. 
 
"I think off the field I'm most proud of the hard work the women put into their schooling/extra curricular activities (work, volunteering, etc). I'm proud of the dedication they put into being student athletes and it shows both on and off the field. We have a number of women on the Scholars/Honours list and we are one of the top teams at Western when it comes to high grade marks among student athletes." Loubert said.
 
"On the field I'm proud of the group in the sense that they have set their intentions on being a better team. They want to improve and they don't want to settle for previous results. They are on me to challenge them more, day in and day out." He added.
 
The job's not done yet, though, as Coach Loubert believes this is the year the team can go all the way. 
 
Taking place in Kingston, Ontario, the Mustangs Women's Lacrosse program is known for its' success at these OUA Championships, winning the Patterson Cup on seven occasions over the last 13 years, including five consecutive championships from 2011-2015. 
 
"I think we have the team to do it. We've seen how tough it is to win that semi final game over the last few years after successful regular seasons so I think we just need to get over that hump." said Coach Loubert.
 
Since joining the Western Mustangs Women's Lacrosse program in 2013, Coach Loubert has continued the winning legacy, finishing in the top three on seven occasions. He attributes the teams' success to the amazing young athletes who continue to come into the Mustangs program year after year: 
 
"We have a fantastic group of young women/athletes - they deserve all the credit. Besides that I think it's how we train and prepare for games, I also know how good the team was here before I came into it, so I want to continue on the tradition of that. Students come here in the first year and learn from senior players; they see how it works. Then in a year or two they become leaders and are showing the rookies how it's done. I want these women to be leaders on and off the field. It's a good transition for them."
 
The leadership group on the team brings vast experience and knowledge about the sport of Lacrosse and features Taya Keast, a third-year defender, who played for Team Canada in the Fall Classic alongside rookie team members Reese Whiteman, Abigail Copeland, Melissa Green and Lexie Delisle.
 
Third-year midfielder and co-captain, Melissa Green, explained that the key leadership qualities the team look for involve creating a successful team environment. 
 
"As a team captain, this means allowing all players the opportunity to express their needs and concerns as well as ask questions to ensure that they understand all the concepts. Also, communicating on the field in Lacrosse is key to success. For example - on defense - it is extremely important to be talking with the players around you to be able to stop the attackers from scoring. Our team would not be able to work as efficiently as we do on the field without effective communication."
 
Co-captain and midfielder Abigail Copeland, also emphasized the power of leading by example. "Definitely a strong work ethic, positive attitude and drive to succeed as a team [are important]. I think it's also really important to lead by example knowing other girls are looking up to you."
 
Similar to Coach Loubert's sentiments, Copeland is also very proud of the team and how they've performed this year. "On the field I am most proud of our competitiveness and drive to get better. We set a goal at the start of the season and are putting in the work every day to achieve it. Off the field I am most proud of our community involvement. Spearheaded by first-year player, Reese Whiteman, we celebrated suicide awareness month for the first time: wearing yellow shirts at a practice and fundraising money for the Ontario Shores Foundation for Mental Health."
 
New to the team, Reese Whiteman is an attacker from Brookin, Ontario, and has so far enjoyed her first season wearing the purple and white. "My favourite part of being on the Western Women's Lacrosse team is the inclusion and instant friends I made. The team has made a competitive environment with a strong desire to improve, also one with lots of fun."
 
So far this year, the team has done stellar jobs both on the offensive and defensive ends of the field. The team has scored 168 goals this season, averaging almost 17 goals a game. They are led by Western Mustangs attackers Quinn Kolwitch, Jamie Atkinson and Reese Wilkins, who all have more than 15 goals on the season. 
 
Kolwitch is currently a third-year member on the team who began playing lacrosse at the age of 8 years for the Oakville Lady Hawks Association. She was inspired by her older brother, whom she always watched growing up. Now, Kolwitch is an invaluable part of the Mustangs Women's Lacrosse team, and takes great pride in dawning the purple and white. Echoing Coach Loubert, Kolwitch believes this is the year the team can go all the way. "While we're proud of the bronze medals we've won the past two years, we're a highly competitive team who wants to win. We know we have the potential and the capability for more, and now it's a matter of getting the job done." 
 
Defensively, the team has allowed  less than seven goals per game, and has allowed more than 10 goals on only one occasion, in their 14-10 loss against the Queens' Gaels. Major contributors to their defensive success are  stalwarts and veterans Rachel Reynolds, and Lyanne Martin, alongside the goalie tandem of Sophie Hofmann and Tegan Lewis.
 
Rachel Reynolds, who has spent all of her university years playing collegiate Lacrosse as a defender with the Western Mustangs, sees her role on the team as a mentor and to share her wisdom with the younger players. "I am a 6^th year defender on the team! I think my teammates nickname for me describes my role perfectly, and that is team grandpa. I think I bring lots of wise experience given my tenure on the team, which is how the nickname came about."
 
Reynolds' favorite part of being on the team, over the course of her career with the Western Mustangs Women's Lacrosse team is her teammates. "I feel like I have 25 friends on and off the field who are always supportive, kind, and encouraging. The friendships developed with my teammates are by far the best part about being on Western's Women's Lacrosse team."
 
This team is clearly ready for the upcoming challenges they'll face in the playoffs, and they're more confident than ever. With a great mix of experienced players and young talent, the Western Mustangs Women's Lacrosse team is one to watch out for this weekend. The Mustangs will take on the Guelph Gryphons on Friday, October 27 at 6:30pm, and the McMaster Marauders on Saturday, October 28 at 5pm at Queen's University, hosted by the Queens Gaels.