London, ON – The Western Mustangs earned a 4–2 victory over the Queen's Gaels at Thompson Arena on Friday night, showcasing strong energy, teamwork, and composure under pressure.
Western struck first late in the opening period when Haylie Kirkpatrick (#22) scored unassisted at 18:57, giving the Mustangs an early lead. The period was fast-paced, with Western moving the puck well and generating multiple scoring chances, while Queen's applied physical pressure and maintained solid puck possession.
In the second period, both teams battled for momentum. Western generated several quality chances, including a notable breakaway from Lacey Larmand (#94), but Queen's answered with a clean corner-net goal at 12:41 to take a 2–1 lead. Penalties slowed the pace at times, but the Mustangs remained active in the offensive zone, keeping pressure on the Gaels' defense.
The third period saw Western tie the game before Celina Kubisch (#28) scored the game-winning goal on a breakaway. Goaltender Ella Brabrook (#89) made multiple key saves, including a glove stop and a knee block, to preserve the lead. Queen's pulled their goalie late, but Western held firm to secure the victory.
Head coach Brittney Howard praised her team's effort and energy: "You could definitely tell. It just builds confidence within your team, and I think it showed on the ice. Everyone has the same goal in mind, and that's huge for building a positive team culture,"
Forward Alyssa Wouda, who scored the empty-net goal late in the third period and celebrated her 100th career game, reflected on the milestone: "I just kind of kept going — empty net, so I defended the defender off and made sure the puck got in. It's a big couple of games early in the season. We want to capitalize on as many as we can," said Wouda.
The Mustangs' victory highlights their composure and teamwork and gives them momentum heading into their next home game.
Next Game: Western returns to Thompson Arena on Saturday, November 1st at 7:00 p.m. to face the Windsor Lancers. Tickets are available at mustangs.ca, and fans can watch live on OUA.tv.
