LONDON, ON — The Western Mustangs fell 4–0 to the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday night at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, despite holding the game scoreless through forty minutes and receiving a strong performance in goal from their starter.

Laurier carried the pace early, generating extended offensive-zone pressure in the opening period, but Western stayed organized defensively and limited second-chance opportunities. Western created a few clean looks off the rush, while the Mustangs bench and travelling fans provided steady energy throughout the frame. Both teams traded possessions and special-teams time, but neither side broke through as the period ended locked at 0–0.

The second period saw Laurier take control of puck possession, forcing Western into several defensive sequences. Midway through the frame, the Mustangs were tasked with killing off a Laurier power play, and their goaltender delivered multiple sharp saves to keep the game even. Western generated brief pushes in transition, but Laurier's zone time remained the story of the period. Even so, Western held strong, and the game remained scoreless heading into the third.

Laurier finally broke through in the final frame. After a penalty against Laurier at 17:38 gave Western a brief spark, the Golden Hawks opened the scoring at 14:41 when a forward gathered her own rebound and tucked it in. Western nearly responded moments later, an initial shot rang off the post at 12:21, and Lacey Barnard fired a rebound that slid across the crease but stayed out. Just seconds after, a Western minor penalty at 12:20 put Laurier back on the power play, and they capitalized at 11:26 to extend their lead.

An offside call at 10:03 gave Laurier another offensive setup, but Western's goalie answered with a key stop at 5:37 to keep the Mustangs within reach. Laurier added insurance with goals at 1:48 and again with 22.8 seconds remaining to secure the 4–0 result.

Despite the loss, Western's defensive structure and goaltending kept the game within reach for most of the night, and the team generated meaningful pushback early in the third.

The Mustangs return home after the break to host the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Thursday, January 8th at 7:00 p.m. at Thompson Arena. You can watch the game live on OUA.TV.