The Mission City Outlaws kept pace in the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s Harold Brittain conference with a split over two home games on Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s game against the White Rock Whalers saw the game unravel in the second period, as White Rock scored twice to eventually earn the 4-2 win.
Mission’s Justin Hargrave opened the scoring at 7:11 of the first period with a power play goal, Nicholas Thomson and Brayden Stewart drew the assists. White Rock drew even late in the period, and the teams remained locked at one after 20 minutes.
The Whalers built up a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes, but Mission made it a one-goal game again when Blake Clease made it 3-2 at 13:09 of the third. Stewart and Conner Moar picked up the helpers. The Whalers restored the two-goal lead 71 seconds later and picked up the win.
Mission goalie Daniel Zuvic made 38 saves in the loss, and the Outlaws were outshot 42-31 in the contest. Mission also managed to kill off all three times they were a man down.
The Outlaws then hosted the Abbotsford Pilots on Saturday, and a goal-filled first period set the pace for an eventual 5-3 win for the home team.
The Pilots went up 1-0 after Mason Smith scored a power play goal at 6:31, and Abbotsford’s Devon Wolfe put the visitors up 2-0 about two minutes later. But Mission fought back by scoring three consecutive goals to close out the period.
Kyle Sackmann (power play), Clease and Dawson Reinfjell all tallied to put Mission up 3-2 after one.
Clease made it 4-2 at 11:50 of the second period, but the Pilots scored again on the power play with Mitchell Metcalfe making it 4-3 after 40 minutes.
Mission’s Joshua Romeyn scored the lone goal of the third period to give the Outlaws the 5-3 win.
The Outlaws outshot the Pilots 31-19 in the victory, and chased Abbotsford starting goalie Brock Machholz in the third period.
Machholz allowed five goals on 27 shots. Backup Noah Masog then stopped all four shots he faced.
Mission goalie Isaac Elias was solid, making 16 saves to earn his first win on the season.
Special teams were also a factor in the game, as the Outlaws went 1/12 with the man advantage, but allowed two power play goals on the seven times they were shorthanded.
Both Sackmann and Clease had multi-point games for the Outlaws.
Hargrave (10 points) and Clease (eight points) are the team’s top two goal scorers after 10 games.
Mission’s record moved to 3-5-2 after the weekend, and they remain in fourth place in the conference.
The Outlaws take on the Ridge Meadows Flames in Maple Ridge on Friday, and then return home to host the Surrey Knights on Saturday. Face-off is set for 6:45 p.m. at the MLC.