London, ON - Coming off a win against Trent last weekend, Western had a hard fought first half but fell to Laurier 22-14 at Alumni Field Saturday afternoon.
 
Historically, the Mustangs have lost to Laurier with a turnaround last year to overtake them 34-17, the first in 5 years. Coach Ian McLeod notes, "We're a good team, we're just not quite as seasoned as they are, that's the team that went to the national championship last year, so you know, proud of the effort."
 
The team came out of the gates strong as Simon Ofiara secured the first try of the game. William Matthews successfully converted, granting Western an early 7-0 lead. Laurier swiftly countered, scoring their first try, with an unsuccessful conversion, resulting in a score of 7-5.
 
Western captain, Colin Rolph, sustained the pressure with remarkable gains on every carry and one-handed grabs during lineouts.
 
Simon Ofiara, a strong leader this season, then had a tremendous return to score Western's second try, expanding the Mustangs' lead to 14-5.
 
Laurier fought back again, this time after 2 yellow cards. However, it was matched with a strong defensive stop to keep the Mustangs lead 14-5 ending the half.
 
The Golden Hawks began the second half strongly, picking up their presence in lineouts, and managed to score a try, narrowing the gap to 14-12.
 
Western's Presley Bosa received a yellow card, and Laurier seized the opportunity, scoring their second try of the half, shifting the 14-19 lead to Laurier. Coach McLeod emphasized, "It underscores the significance of precise execution and attention to detail. Against formidable opponents, even the slightest errors can be ruthlessly exploited."
 
Colin Rolph echoed McLeod's sentiments, saying, "We allowed our performance to falter in the second half, racking up unnecessary penalties."
 
The Mustangs will return to action on Sunday, September 24th, when they travel to Waterloo to face the Warriors in what promises to be another intense clash on the rugby field.