The Western Mustangs women’s soccer team will face one of their toughest challenges yet when they take to the pitch in Windsor on Wednesday night.
The Mustangs are 9-1 on the season and lead the OUA in scoring — averaging 5.3 goals per game — but they take on a Lancers squad that held them to just one goal the last time they played. Windsor also comes into the match on a three-game win streak.
“We’ve got to be sharp on set pieces and just make sure of our execution in the final third,” says Martin Painter, head coach of the Mustangs women’s team. “[We’ll] keep working on our confidence and composure with the ball, which is something we’ve identified as an area we still need to improve, and just avoid mistakes and be mentally strong.”
The women’s team will rely on their solid defense if the offense struggles. They’ve held opponents to just three goals so far this season, earning eight clean sheets behind goalkeeper Tori Edgar.
“We have a lot of confidence in our goalkeeper; we have a lot of confidence in our back four,” Painter says. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of continuity there; we haven’t had to make too many changes, so we’ve had some outstanding performances at the back, but overall, it’s a reflection of the strength of the group.”
Meanwhile, the Mustangs men’s team has a change at revenge in the later game. The Lancers beat them 4-1 on their home turf the last time they played, handing the Mustangs their worst loss of the season.
“When we played Windsor last time, we struggled a little bit. They locked a lot of guys back in behind the ball through the middle, so it was tough to get through to score,” says Rock Basacco, head coach of the Mustangs men’s team.
The men’s squad is hoping to build a win streak after coming off a 5-1 win over Waterloo, but it won’t be easy for the Mustangs.
Windsor’s coming into the match on a four-game win streak.
