The Whitehorse Northern Cross Mustangs hope the North Shore Winterhawks won't be the last team they send home shell-shocked.

After 9-2 and 4-3 victories in the first two contests this past weekend, Whitehorse pulled off a 6-5 win at Takhini Arena last night, sweeping the series against the squad from Burnaby. It certainly wasn't pretty, as the majority of the third period was spent on special teams, with both sides playing chippy hockey.

But a win is a win, pointed out Mustangs captain Nick Mauro.

'It got really dirty toward the end there,' he admitted. 'Unfortunately, both teams started to get up some emotions that were built up over the weekend. But that's what happens sometimes and you've just got to play it out, do your best and hope no one gets injured.

'We'll take a 6-5 win any day, as long as it's a win. It was a good series, I'm really happy with the way the boys played.'

The Winterhawks spotted Whitehorse a 6-0 lead over the first half of the game before coming close on the scoreboard in the final period. Evan Campbell and Drew Pettitt each notched a pair of goals for the Mustangs while Mauro and Ted Stephens also hit the twine.

Mike Young, co-coach of the Mustangs along with Joe Martin, said the team came out focused and ready to play in the first period.

'We came out skating really hard and had a good opportunity to get a nice lead on them. Unfortunately, I think the reverse effect happened (in the final half of the game). Their team got focused, they started to pick it up, turned it up a notch and we probably got a little lacksy-daisy out there.

'We were lucky we had such a good lead or else we would have been on the losing end of that game.'

Mauro said the Winterhawks provided better competition than the Anchorage North Stars, pointing out North Shore could have been a real force if their entire team had made the trip.

Young agreed, pointing out the series allowed the Mustangs to work on key components of their game, such as the power play, which supplied three goals in Monday's game.

The Mustangs are hoping the series becomes an annual event, with the Winterhawks bringing a full lineup next time around they had to borrow four players from Whitehorse for their three games here.

With 12 of their players spending time in the penalty box Monday, the Mustangs know they have to work on keeping their cool in order to make an impact in their next tournament, which starts in Richmond, B.C. after Christmas.

'Our powerplay, we've been working on for a while, and it's getting better,' said Mauro. 'But we've got to stay out of the box, that's what kills us. If you don't, you get teams that just murder you on the powerplay.'

While the Mustangs will have one more practice Friday before they leave for Richmond on Boxing Day, Young said they will be taking it easy over the next week, 'resting and eating turkey.'

'We'll probably work on some systems, but not too hard. We'll just kind of make sure everyone's healthy, ready to go and focused.'

With 20 teams in their division at the Richmond tournament, including some from California, Mauro knows the competition will be tough. But realistically, he said, the team is going down there to win the tournament.

'We have the potential to go a long, long way. As with every other tournament we go to, they always just think we're hicks from the north, but we surprise them. And in Abbotsford (at the tournament they won last month), we surprised them in a hell of a good way.'

With Monday's win, the Mustangs remained undefeated on home ice this season, and now own a 15-0-1 record overall, with their only loss coming to Juan de Fuca at the Abbotsford tournament.

Mauro feels this year's midget Mustangs are the best group he's played with, and he's confident they have what it takes to not only do well in Richmond, but perhaps win the gold on home ice at the provincial championships in March.

'I'm speechless really, at how well our team's come together. Everyone on the ice is just so well molded together. And it's just going to get better from here. Right from Anchorage, the third years just seemed to connect with the first years. It helps that we've got brothers on this team. That just brought us all together.

'These guys are just an amazing team. I really, really am proud and honoured to be the captain of this team.'

Here are the final stats for the Whitehorse Mustangs over the three-game series:

Name GP G A Pts. PM

Ted Stephens 3 4 5 9 6

Evan Campbell 3 3 4 7 4

Drew Pettitt 3 4 1 5 2

Nick Mauro 3 1 4 5 6

Taylor Love 3 1 4 5 2

Michael Fraser 3 1 2 3 4

Kane Dawe 3 1 2 3 6

Robbie Stuckey 3 2 0 2 4

Tyson Hawkins 3 1 1 2 0

Lowell Johnston 3 0 2 2 2

Jeff Gartshore 2 0 2 2 0

Brad Holm 2 0 2 2 4

Nick Swizdaryk 2 1 0 1 2

Josh Craven 3 0 1 1 2

Taylor Pasloski 3 0 1 1 2

Fraser Love 2 0 1 1 2

JJ Stuckey 1 0 1 1 2

Kaleb Dawe 2 0 0 0 0

Alex McDougall 2 0 0 0 2

Daniel Cletheroe 2 0 0 0 2

Several of the Mustangs and their parents will get the chance to see Canada take on Finland at the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championship in Vancouver on Boxing Day.