The No. 10-ranked Brock Badgers advance to the next round of the OUA Queen's Cup men's hockey playoffs.
Brock holds home-ice advantage when they meet the Western Mustangs in a best-of-three quarter-final series beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at Seymour-Hannah Arena.
Puck drop is 7:15 p.m. Get your tickets here.
Both teams are coming off series sweeps — Brock ousted York and Western got by Laurier — and each contest finished as a one-goal game.
"Western is a solid overall team," said Brock head coach Marty Williamson. "They're the hottest team right now with balanced scoring and outstanding team defence. We're going to have to work hard to break through their goalie."
Mustangs third-year netminder Luke Peressini posted a .925 save percentage and 2.34 goals against average this season.
Senior forward Trevor Warnaar led Western in scoring during the regular season with seven goals and 22 points in 27 games alongside a pair of former OHLers: freshman forward Ethan Szypula (20 points), who played five seasons with the Owen Sound Attack, and sophomore forward Anthony Stefano (19 points), who is a season removed from the Barrie Colts.
Backstopped by goalie Logan Thompson, the Badgers have one of the best goal differentials on home ice in the country. Western went 7-8 on the road, and were outscored by a total of 11 goals.
"There's always a comfort level when you're playing at home," said Williamson. "Gameday travel can have an influence on your team's performance."
Thompson finished second in the league with a .934 save percentage and third with a 2.22 GAA.
The defence is led by first-year defender Connor Walters (14 points) and senior Skylar Pacheco (15 points), who are active in the rush. Western will also have to game plan for Brock's dangerous wingers in Ryan Burton (19 pts) and Ayden MacDonald (19 points).
"Brock has been one of the elite teams in the country the last couple of years. This year they have one of the top goalies in the nation and play a very disciplined system that makes them tough to play against," said Western head coach Clarke Singer. "They have great special teams and are four lines deep. They will be a very challenging team to beat."
Brock's scoring was balanced during the two first-round playoff games with York as defenceman Ethan Spaxman tallied two goals and 11 other Badgers recorded a point.
The series shifts to London, Ontario on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. Watch Game 2 live on OUA.tv.
If necessary, the Badgers host Game 3 on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
