Toronto, ON – A four-goal second period powers Western to a 6-1 win over the York Lions on Saturday afternoon as they finish out the first half of the 2023-24 season with a statement win.
The Mustangs opened the scoring with the lone marker of the opening period when Jake Gravelle had his own rebound bounce back to him in front of the York net and batted it out of mid-air and into the Lions net to give Western the 1-0 lead.
Western would come out fast and furious in the 2
nd period. Starting with just over two and a half minutes in, Tye McSorley found the puck in the blue paint and converted the opportunity to take a 2-0 Western lead.
Just over two and half minutes later the Mustangs would strike again, this time while short-handed. Shane Bulitka picked the puck off in the neutral zone just outside the York blueline, using his speed to go in on a breakaway, he converted a dazzling backhand to extend the lead to 3-0.
Just beyond the eight and a half minute mark the Mustangs would add to their lead when Matthew MacDougall gained the offensive zone and then fed Reed Morison who fired a wrister off the York post and in to make it 4-0.
Western wasn't done there. For the second time in the period, the Mustangs converted a short-handed goal when Andrew Bruder took the pass from his own blueline and skated into the offensive zone and slid a cross-ice pass to Jack York who re-directed it into the Lions net to give Western a 5-0 lead through 40 minutes.
York would get on the board earlier in the 3
rd period but the Mustangs would regain the five goal lead when Matthew MacDougall sent a seeing-eye shot from inside the York blue line to give Western a 6-1 lead and that would hold on as the winner.
Mustangs Goaltender Jack McNaughton didn't see a lot of traffic in his direction on the net but still made 16 saves in the Mustangs win.
Western now enters the holiday break and will return to action January 5&6 when they are on the road to Quebec to play McGill & UQTR. Fans can watch the action on OUA.tv.
