Mustangs top Varsity Blues to sweep OUA Quarter-final series in two games

TORONTO, Ont. – The Mustangs are moving on to the OUA Semifinals after a 4-2 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday night gave Western a 2-0 sweep in their OUA Quarter-final series.
 
With the win the Mustangs will now await the results of the rest of the OUA's first round matchups to see who they will meet in next week's semifinal series.
 
Alyssa Chiarello topped the scoresheet for the Mustangs on Friday, netting two goals – including the game winner – while also assisting on a third. Amanda Pereira and Evra Levesque provided Western's other two markers in the win, scoring the first and fourth goals of the game, respectively.
 
Kassie Roache and Gabrielle De Serres scored for the Varsity Blues, with both coming on the power play.
 
Carmen Lasis stopped 23 of the 25 shots she faced to pick up the win in net for the Mustangs, while the Varsity Blues started Valencia Yordanov made 12 saves before giving way to Madeline Albert who stopped all 10 shots sent her way.
 
The Varsity Blues opened the scoring early, with Roache scoring on the power play just under two minutes into the opening period to put the home side in front 1-0.
 
A power play late in the frame gave the Mustangs the chance to tie things up and they made no mistake, as Pereira buried a shot from the faceoff circle to set the scoreboard to 1-1 heading into the second period.
 
The Mustangs struck again early in the second, with Chiarello scoring her second goal of the playoffs a little under five minutes in to put Western in front.
 
She wasn't done there, picking up her own rebound and using a few attempts from in close to send it past Yordanov and extend Western's lead to 3-1 around the nine minute mark of the second.
 
Western kept up its rapid scoring pace as Evra Levesque tallied her first goal of the post-season, converting assists from Edie Levesque and Chiarello on the power play to give the Mustangs a three-goal lead. The Varsity Blues switched goaltenders following the Mustangs fourth goal, with Albert coming on in relief of Yordanov.
 
Special teams continued to play a role on the scoresheet, however this time it was the Varsity Blues capitalizing on the power play with Gabrielle De Serres sending a shot from the point past Lasis to cut Western's lead to 4-2 after 40 minutes.
 
That would prove to be the final goal of the game, with the Mustangs skating away with a 4-2 win to take the series in two straight games.
 
The Mustangs will now turn their attention to next week's OUA Semifinals. Check back to westernmustangs.ca early next week when the Mustangs second round schedule is announced.

Source: Western Mustangs