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Mission Outlaws hockey squad earns three of four points

Mission fell 3-2 in overtime, but put up a good fight against the top team in the Pacific Junior Hockey League.
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Ben Lypka

Abbotsford News

The Mission City Outlaws started November off on the right track, picking up three of four points on the weekend.

The Outlaws had a rare Friday at home and Saturday on the road, hosting the Harold Brittain Conference-leading Aldergrove Kodiaks on Friday.

Mission fell 3-2 in overtime, but put up a good fight against the top team in the Pacific Junior Hockey League. They remain one of only two teams in the league to have not lost in regulation to Aldergrove.

All the regulation time scoring in Friday’s game occurred in the third period, with Baylee Wright putting Mission up 1-0 at 4:27. The Kodiaks then scored two goals in 79 seconds to go up 2-1 at the midway point of third, only to have Wright tie the game at 16:10.

Aldergrove earned the win with a power play goal in overtime. Outlaws goalie Matthew Trulsen, who was named the game’s first star, made an incredible 52 saves in a losing cause.

Saturday’s game saw the Outlaws explode for four unanswered goals in the game’s first 22 minutes to cruise to a 5-2 win over the North Vancouver Wolf Pack at the Harry Jerome Arena.

Wright, Nikolas Sourtzis and Kyle Mooney got Mission on the board in the first period, with Jackson Waniek adding a goal in the second. The Wolf Pack tallied at 4:44 of the second to make it a one-goal game.

Mooney scored again in the third period, with North Vancouver adding a late goal to make it a 5-2 final.

Wright, Mooney and Waniek all recorded multi-point games in the win, and Mission goalie Keaton Dyck stopped 30 shots. Wright is now leading the league with 29 points in 17 games.

“We finally had a really good start and took the game to them early,” Outlaws head coach Brad Veitch stated after the game.

“We dominated the first period, and managed to play five on five for most of the final 40 minutes, playing an excellent road game with the lead. It was probably, overall, one of our best defensive efforts.”

The Outlaws improved to a record of six wins, nine losses and two overtime losses after the weekend. They remain in fourth place in the Harold Brittain Conference.

In other Outlaws news, Mission continued being active on the trade front after moving Trevor Sundher to the Surrey Knights in exchange for forward Nathan McCarnan on Wednesday. The Vancouver native has six points in 15 games this season, and suited up last year for the Wolf Pack.

The Outlaws next host the Richmond Sockeyes on Saturday. Faceoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Mission Leisure Centre.