LONDON, ON — The Western Mustangs women's hockey came up just short on Friday night at Thompson Arena, falling 4–3 to the visiting York Lions in a back-and-forth game decided with 5.1 seconds left in regulation. Despite being out of playoff contention, Western delivered one of its grittiest efforts of the season.
York opened the scoring at 1:05, but Western responded with a strong push. On the power play, #66 Sara Forwell tied the game at 9:19, finishing a setup from #8 Kate Martin. Less than two minutes later, #10 Leah Barnard buried another to give Western a 2–1 lead, assisted by #23 Erica Barnard and #98 Victoria Quance. York would even the score before intermission, sending the game to the first break tied 2–2.
Western struck quickly in the second. At 3:31, #19 Kate Suitor put the Mustangs back in front, converting a feed from #71 Emma Campbell and #12 Mackenzie Lizotte. But York answered at 8:31 to make it 3–3. Western generated extended offensive-zone time during the opening seven minutes of the frame but couldn't reclaim the lead.
The third period tilted heavily in York's favour territorially, with Western defending for long stretches. Campbell's defensive play stood out, including a key stop around 12:30 to break up a dangerous chance. A late push from both benches ramped up the energy inside Thompson Arena, but with 5.1 seconds remaining, York found the game-winner off a loose puck near the crease.
Goaltender #1 Ella Brabrook made 25 saves on 29 shots, keeping Western in it during a defensively heavy third period. The Mustangs went 1-for-4 on the power play and matched York in total points generated (8).
After the game, head coach Brittany Howard praised her team's heart and compete level:
"It's one of those games that could've gone back and forth. We would've loved to come out on top, but tomorrow is another day. We can go compete, we can play with pride, and it's a privilege to wear purple — we're going to show that tomorrow."
On handling York's sustained third-period pressure, Howard highlighted her captain:
"Soups is our leader through and through. She's done it all year, and I'm sure in the years before that too. She wears her heart on her sleeve and she's willing to do anything for the team. That showed on the ice today."
Howard also emphasized the team's resilience:
"When you look at the start of our season — 0 and 3 — they kept battling back. That's something this group has continued to show."
Western now turns the page quickly. Their final game of the season is tomorrow, Saturday, February 14th, back home at Thompson Arena, where they'll host the Nipissing Lakers.
