The Mission City Outlaws faced the top team in Pacific Junior Hockey League for a home-and-home series last week, and were soundly beaten in both games.
Mission took on the North Vancouver Wolf Pack on Oct. 31 and Nov. 3, and were outscored 12-2 in the pair of games.
The Outlaws travelled to North Vancouver on Halloween night, and were blanked by the Wolf Pack 5-0.
The Pack scored two goals in the first, one in the second and two more in the third to secure the win.
Mission actually outshot North Vancouver 34-32, but couldn’t solve goalie Niklas Hoem. Outlaws goalie Isaac Elias made 27 saves in the loss.
Mission then hosted the Wolf Pack on Saturday, but North Vancouver took over in the second period with three goals to win 7-2.
Outlaws forward Kyle Mooney opened the game’s scoring with a power play goal at 5:49 of the first period, but the Pack scored five consecutive goals over the next two periods to lead 5-2 after two. Mission’s Dawson Campbell scored a late goal in the second period to make it a three-goal game.
The Pack added two more goals in the third to post the 7-2 win.
Mission goalie Matthew Trulsen faced a ton of rubber, making 41 saves in the loss. Special teams also hurt the Outlaws, as they allowed a pair of power play goals and took six minor penalties in the game.
Mission defenceman Andrew Berkelaar said penalties continue to hurt the Outlaws.
“We were playing good in the first half but once they got a couple of goals on us it seemed like we gave up and began taking dumb penalties,” he told the Mission City Outlaws blog.
Mission’s record falls to 5-10-3 with the pair of losses, and the club remains in fifth place in the PJHL’s Harold Brittain conference and tied for 10th overall in the 12-team league.
The Outlaws have a big trio of games coming up, as they try to gain ground on some of the teams they’re battling with for a playoff position. Mission travels to Maple Ridge to take on the Ridge Meadows Flames tonight (Friday) at 7:30 p.m., and then host the Abbotsford Pilots at the Mission Leisure Centre on Saturday at 6:45 p.m. The Outlaws then hit the road again to battle the White Rock Whalers on Monday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. For more on the team, visit missioncityoutlaws.com.