London, ON – The Western Mustangs returned to Thompson Arena for the first time in 2026 on Friday night and delivered a strong, physical performance, 3-1 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues and extending their winning streak to four games.
Head Coach Clark Singer said: "It was a second-half OUA hockey game where there wasn't a lot of space, and it stayed tight until the end," Singer said. He credited strong defensive structure, timely scoring, and another standout performance from goaltender Jack McNaught. "When you give up one goal in an OUA game, your goaltender is one of your best players," he said.
The opening frame got physcial early, with both teams battling hard for the puck and finishing checks. Western generated a few quality scoring chances five minutes in but couldn't find the finish. As the period went on, with both sides fighting for control along the boards and through the neutral zone. The Mustangs began to tilt the ice midway through the period, spending extended time in Toronto's zone and applying steady pressure.
Despite a late push that saw a Western chance ring off the top of the net, the period ended scoreless at 0–0.
Western wasted no time breaking through. Just 1:08 into the period, Nicholas Yearwood opened the scoring, snapping a shot past the Toronto goaltender after a setup from Christiano Aiello to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.
Toronto pushed back midway through the frame, but Jack McNaughton came up with a key save, getting a piece of a dangerous chance and keeping the puck out. As Toronto continued to apply pressure late in the period, McNaughton remained sharp and turned aside every opportunity.
With three minutes left, roughing penalties to both teams led to four-on-four play. Toronto capitalized late in the period, tying the game at 1-1 with 2:42 remaining.
Western earned a power play midway through the third period but couldn't convert. Another stretch of four-on-four followed, again with neither side finding the breakthrough. With just two minutes remaining, Drew Wawrow buried a clutch goal to restore Western's lead at 2-1, finishing a play set up by Brett Willits and Nathan Sauder.
Toronto took another penalty with 1:34 left, and the Mustangs made them pay. With 44 seconds remaining, Zach Power scored on the power play, sealing the game at 3-1 with assists from Wawrow and Willits.
"We got on the power play late, so we were just trying to kill some time. Wars made a good play and kicked it to me. I went to the net and got a lucky bounce," Power said.
McNaughton closed the door the rest of the way, finishing with 23 saves as Western secured their first home win of the new semester.
" We build up to it during the week. We track our systems specifically for the teams we play, and that helps us get the reps in. During the game, I break it down each period into five-minute segments and just try to stay fresh through each one," McNaughton said.
The Mustangs are back in action Saturday, January 17th, on the road against Windsor Lancers.
