Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Waterloo, ON -  The Mustangs finish the opening weekend of the 2024-25 season with a 1&1 split after a pair of games against Laurier & Waterloo.

GAME 1 RECAP – Friday, October 4^th vs. Laurier

Christiano Aiello was the overtime hero for the Mustangs Men's Hockey team as they picked up a 3-2 win over Laurier on Friday night.

Western looked like the brand new team that they are on the opening night of the 2024-25 season as they fired 63 total shots on the Laurier net, with a pair of goals coming in the 2^nd period, followed by the OT winner.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the first period but Western got the edge in shots 17-11.

In the 2nd period, Laurier would light the lamp first with a Max-Antoine Melancon goal just over three minutes in.

The Mustangs would even things up at 1-1 later in the frame when Andrew Bruder skated the puck into the Laurier zone, made a push to the front of the net which hit the pad of the Golden Hawks goalie, and Franco Sproviero was right there to pick up the rebound and bury it for Western.
 
With a minute remaining in the period the Mustangs would strike again. Jake Gravelle controlled the puck in the offensive zone, skating it from the right side blue line, all the way to the opposite corner and then towards the faceoff dot, he would send a sniping wrister from the sharp angle and give Western their first lead of the night at 2-1.
 
Laurier would get the lone goal of the 3^rd period, right around the midway mark on the powerplay, and that would remain the score through regulation and force overtime.

In the extra frame, after both teams made use of the extra ice  that 3-on-3 provides with plenty of end to end plays including a dazzling diving save from Mustangs rookie goaltender Matteo Drobac. With just over a minute remaining in OT, Power would skate the puck into the Laurier zone, draw their defender towards him and then slide a backhand feed to Aiello in the slot and he made no mistake, finishing the game and putting Western in the win column to start the season.
 
Drobac made 29 saves on 31 shots for the Mustangs in his OUA debut.

GAME DETAILS
2^nd PERIOD – Franco Sproviero (1) – Assisted by Andrew Bruder - 16:38
2^nd PERIOD – Jake Gravelle (1) – unassisted – 19:00
OT – Christiano Aiello (1) – Zach Power – 5:49

GAME 2 RECAP – Saturday, October 5^th vs. Waterloo

The Mustangs continued to better the opposition with 43 shots on the afternoon but weren't able to convert those shots to goals, falling 4-1 to the Warriors.

Waterloo would get a late goal in the 1^st period to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission. Western fired 15 shots on the Warriors net while Mustangs goaltender Matteo Drobac faced 16 shots on his net.

Waterloo would get the lone goal of the 2^nd period as well, just over 4 minutes into the period and held a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes.

The 3^rd period started with a Waterloo goal on the powerplay just ahead of the 7 minute mark to open a 3-0 lead.

Western would respond just over a minute later when rookie Lawson Sherk picked up the puck behind the Warriors net and made a quick sweeping move toward the side of the net and slid the puck beyond Waterloo goalie Matt Onuska and netted his first OUA goal and cut the Warriors lead to 3-1.
 
It wouldn't be enough though as Waterloo would add a late empty net goal and take the 4-1 win.

Drobac made 25 saves on the night for the Mustangs.

GAME DETAILS
3^rd Period – Lawson Sherk (1) from Saye & Willits at 8:08

NEXT GAME
The Mustangs will host their 2024 Home Opener on Thursday evening at Thompson Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm, tickets are on sale now at WesternMustangs.ca/tickets. A reminder that Western students get free admission to all regular season games by presenting their Western ONECard at the box office.