Western’s Men’s Soccer team took on the Guelph Gryphons yesterday afternoon on Mustang Field. The match-up was sure to be close as the Mustangs sits just one spot below their opponents in the Western division. Coming off a three-game losing streak, the team was ready for a win and got one with a final score of 1-0.

Western came out of the gates hot, controlling the field and getting a few quick shots. The players were rough and aggressive from the start with the first injury coming at just 8 minutes into the game after a Guelph defender was helped off the field. The purple and white offense made strong cross-net attempts, but all were shut down by the Gryphons’ goalie and the home team could not seem to get the ball anywhere near the 6-yard box. Control of the field evened out half way through the first and both teams kicked into high gear. Western squeezed in a few more chances in the last minutes of the first but the defense had woken up by then and mostly kept them on the sideline.

A dramatic start to the second half as a few minutes in, 4-person collision had both teams’ medics on the field in a hurry. Mustang player, Carlos Buitrago, got the worst of it, leaving the field covered in blood after splitting his head open off of a defender’s head. Both teams recovered and continued as the sky opened up and cooled off the contest. Guelph started to take over the game as they dominated the space with their ball movement and control. Western’s leading scorer, Anthony Chrysanthou came in with a late game goal to put the purple and white ahead. The game continued with a few more injuries on both sides and a few more scoring opportunities however, the home team managed to hang onto it to get the victory and end the slump.