The Windsor Lancers men's hockey team handled the visiting Western Mustangs in their Lancers Against Bullying game, 6-2 Friday afternoon at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex.
 
The Lancers started strong and never looked back in part one of a weekend double header with the Mustangs, giving the local elementary students in attendance a lot to cheer about with the big win.
 
The win improves the Lancers' record to 11-3 on the season and keeps them right in the thick of a battle for first place in the OUA West which currently belongs to the Varsity Blues.
 
GAME STATS
 Goalie Jonathan Reinhart was great in net, stopping 38 of 40 shots he faced. Western's David Ovsjannikov made 33 saves on 39 shots.
 
Kody Gagnon led the game in points, scoring two goals and assisting on another, while Western's Austin Osmanski had two points with a goal and an assist.
 
GAME FLOW
The first period was quite the defensive battle. The Lancers and Mustangs battled between the blue lines for the majority of the frame, with neither even registering a shot in the game's opening 16 minutes. Late in the period, Kody Gagnon drove deep into the offensive zone and found Ryan Shaw in front of the net to put the Lancers up 1-0 at the 16:54 mark of the first. The goal was the only difference after the first 20 minutes.
 
Windsor was the first on the board in the second as well, this time scoring much earlier. Just under four minutes into the period, Gagnon let one rip from the point that was too good for Western's Ovsjannikov to make it 2-0 at the 3:42 mark of the second. Not even three minutes later it was Brennan Feasey getting in on the fun as the beneficiary of a 2-on-1 making it 3-0 not even seven minutes into the period. The Mustangs outshot the Lancers in the second period but it didn't pay off until there was 12 minutes gone on the clock when Austin Osmanski beat Reinhart, cutting the lead to 3-1. The lead was short lived though as Gagnon found the back of the net from out in front after almost scoring on a breakaway; nonetheless the goal restored the Lancers three goal lead, 4-1 at the final intermission.
 
Alex Friesen potted a goal  81 seconds into the third period, capitalizing on the missing stick of Ovsjannikov and putting it five hole to go up 5-1 over the Mustangs. Not even two minutes later, it was Shaw getting on the board again, this time shorthanded, to make it 6-1 Lancers just 3:42 into the period. Western's Kyle Langdon finally answered the Lancers' run, beating Reinhart to make it 6-2 with 9:36 to go in the third. The Mustangs' goal would prove too little to late however, as the Lancers held strong and handled the Mustangs, 6-2.
 
UP NEXT
The Lancers head up the 401 to meet the Mustangs again, this time in London on Saturday, Nov. 23 for a 4:00 p.m. puck drop on www.OUA.tv.