The York University Lions women's hockey team lost 3-0 to the No. 3 nationally-ranked Western Mustangs on Saturday (Jan. 24) at Canlan Ice Sports.
 
Kristen Barbara (Mount Hope, Ont.) made the first shot on target four minutes into the game after a good attacking play by the home team.
 
Six minutes later, the Lions found another opportunity to score as the Mustangs scrambled to defend their post. Barbara took another shot on target from a distance, but her attempt bounced off Western goalie Kelly Campbell.
 
Lions' goaltender Megan Lee (Orillia, Ont.) displayed good reflexes by denying a power play goal twice in one minute. The game remained scoreless after the first period of play.
 
At 2:07 of the second, a defensive mix-up led the Lions to concede the first goal. A Mustangs forward took a shot out wide of the goal. The puck ricocheted off the backboard as Casey Rosen scrambled to slide it into the net.
 
Less than two minutes later, the Mustangs doubled their lead with a counter-attack after the Lions heavily pressured the oppositions' ice. Ali Beres intercepted and dashed forward with the puck, and Katie Hubert neatly tucked in the Mustangs' second of the match from a well-timed pass by Beres.
 
Almost immediately after the puck drop, the Lions nearly conceded a third if it was not for a tremendous save by Lee. Stacey Scott intercepted the pass and powered a shot, forcing Lee to deflect it wide.
 
Jessa McAuliffe (Odessa, Ont.) was close to scoring a tap-in goal at point blank range. Campbell showed good strength to save it, and Western carried the 2-0 lead into the second intermission.
 
The Lions increased the offensive pressure throughout the final period. Lee was pulled out in the final moments of the game, and the Lions did well in the attacking half until Hubert intercepted a pass and shot into the empty net for her second goal and the Mustangs' third.
 
Lee ended the game with 28 saves while Campbell made 32.
 
The loss drops the Lions' record to 9-8-2 on the year and they are now in a three-way tie for seventh place in the OUA standings. The Mustangs continue to hold down the top spot with a 15-1-2 record.
 
The schedule remains tough for the weekend as the Lions will host the third-place Windsor Lancers at Canlan Ice Sports on Sunday (Jan. 25) beginning at 2pm.