With a myriad of scenarios and Lakehead’s playoff hopes up in the air, the Thunderwolves will be in London this weekend to take on the Western Mustangs for the final two games of the regular season. Game times are 7:00 pm on Friday night and 4:00 pm on Saturday at Thompson Arena.
The Matchup
Lakehead: 11-14-1 OUA (9th place West Division) 17-15-1 overall
Western: 14-11-1 OUA (3rd place West Division) 17-14-1 overall
Recent Results
Lakehead is coming off a series split against the Guelph Gryphons last weekend. After being edged 5-4 on Friday night, the Wolves rebounded with a 4-1 win in the Saturday rematch.
The Mustangs dropped two games on the road last weekend, falling 5-2 at Waterloo on Friday and 7-5 at Laurier on Saturday.
Series History
Western holds the advantage in the all-time series between the Mustangs and the Thunderwolves with a record of 45-29-1 over Lakehead.
The two rivals last met in the OUA opener at the Fort William Gardens on October 12th, with the Wolves coming out on top 4-2.
It’s Complicated
Lakehead currently sits in 9th place in the OUA West Division with 23 points, one point shy of a playoff spot with two games to go in the regular season. Only the top eight teams make the playoffs, but because the division race is so tight (only three points separate 4th place from 10th), it’s possible that Lakehead could qualify for the playoffs by obtaining a single point (overtime loss) at Western. On the other hand, the Wolves could win both games to collect four points and potentially still miss the post-season depending on what else happens in the Wild West this weekend.
About the Mustangs
Western’s main scoring threats are forwards Trevor Warnaar, Anthony Stefano and Ethan Szypula. Defencemen Jonathan Laser solidifies the Mustang’s blue line, and goaltender Luke Peresinni is one of the best in the league.