GUELPH, ON — The Western Mustangs men's hockey team fell 5–2 to the Guelph Gryphons on Thursday night in an away matchup. After a competitive opening period, Western found its footing in the second, but penalty trouble allowed Guelph to pull away.

Guelph controlled much of the puck possession early and opened the scoring at 7:24, with Dillon Stiles finding the back of the net to give the Gryphons a 1–0 lead heading into the second period.

Western responded quickly after the break. At 1:28, Bo Eisner (#55) scored an unassisted goal to tie the game at 1–1. The Mustangs came out with more speed and energy, creating more opportunities and spending more time in the offensive zone.

However, Guelph regained the lead at 6:14 with a power-play goal from Damen Boose. Penalties continued to trouble Western, and the Gryphons took advantage of a five-on-three opportunity. Dylan Hudon scored at 8:58, followed by Boose's second goal of the night at 9:42 to extend the lead to 4–1. Luke Johnston added another at 16:44, giving Guelph a four-goal advantage heading into the third.

The Mustangs came out stronger in the final period, with Zander Veccia (#74) scoring at 1:36 off assists from Nicholas Yearwood and Eisner to make it 5–2. Western outshot Guelph 15–5 in the third period, showing a much stronger offensive push, but the comeback fell short. Despite matching Guelph with 29 shots overall, Western was unable to capitalize on its power-play opportunities, going 0-for-9 on the night.

The Mustangs will look to bounce back on Saturday, October 24, when they travel to Algoma Central Arena to face the Brock Badgers. Puck drop is set for 2:00 p.m., and fans can stream the game on OUA.tv.