Fall is quickly approaching, and the Western Mustangs are gearing up for another successful sporting season. Last year was far from disappointing for the purple and white, with 10 Mustangs teams earning provincial titles and four capturing national championships. The Mustangs are looking to carry forward that momentum in 2014 as the fall season gets underway in September.
The Western Mustangs football team proved themselves as one of the top teams in the CIS last season, recording a perfect 8-0 regular season and claiming the 30th Yates Cup in school history, while breaking multiple records along the way. Quarterback Will Finch is back for his third season with the purple and white, and, after setting a new OUA single-season passing record of 3,047 yards last season, he’s looking to lead Western to the top of the OUA once again. The Mustangs’ first home contest will happen on Homecoming Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m. against Toronto.
Also coming off an undefeated regular season is the Western Mustangs women’s soccer team, who put themselves among the top teams in the CIS last year. They finished atop the OUA West division with a 7-0-3 record and claimed a silver medal at the OUA Championships — a performance that earned them a place in the CIS Championships, where they advanced to the consolation semi-finals. The Mustangs, led by OUA and CIS Coach of the Year Martin Painter, entered the 2014-15 season looking to record another strong campaign and return to the CIS Championships. Be sure to check westernmustangs.ca for the team’s full schedule.
The Western Mustangs men’s soccer team heads into the upcoming season ready to put up a strong fight once again in the OUA. The team closed out its 2013 campaign with a 10-8-3 overall record, facing many tough battles along the way. This fall, the Mustangs will look to push ahead of the pack and put themselves in playoff contention once again after being narrowly eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last year. Regular season action got underway on Aug. 30 at home against OUA newcomers the Algoma Thunderbirds.
After claiming a historic third consecutive Canadian Collegiate Softball Association National Championship, the Mustangs softball team comes into the 2014 fall season looking to claim another national title as well as a fifth straight OIWFA title. The women’s season begins Sept. 7 with a double header against Windsor.
The Western women’s lacrosse team will look to continue dominating the OUA this fall after claiming their third consecutive OUA Championship in 2013. The purple and white are looking to record an impressive fourth straight perfect season this fall, beginning on Sept. 14 at home against the McMaster Marauders.
On the water, the Mustangs’ rowing team swept both the provincial and national championships last year and heads into the fall looking to reclaim its men’s and women’s OUA and CIS titles. The team will host its first event of the season, the Western Open Regatta, on Sept. 20.
In more OUA news, the Mustangs will serve as the hosts of this year’s OUA Tennis Championships, which will be held from October 10-12 at the Western Tennis centre. The Mustangs’ men’s side will attempt to defend their 2013 OUA Championship.
— By Ciara Maynard and photos by Sam Fischer and Grace Chung
