The early season struggles continue for the Mission City Outlaws.
After losing twice last week, Mission was shut out for the first time in Pacific Junior Hockey League regular-season action since Jan. 31, 2013 on Friday, falling 1-0 to the Ridge Meadows Flames.
Ridge Meadows scored the game’s lone goal at 14:58 of the first period, when forward Bradley Compton scored on the power play.
The Outlaws fired 22 shots at Flames goalie Braedon Fleming, who earned the shutout win.
Mission goalie Matthew Trulsen stopped 30 saves in a losing cause.
Forwards Ryan Sharma and Sammy Zeinab made it on the scoresheet with 16 and 12 penalty minutes respectively.
Mission then hosted the Richmond Sockeyes on Saturday, and fell behind 4-1 midway through the second period to eventually lose 5-3.
The Sockeyes opened the scoring at 11:23 of the first period, but Mission answered back minutes later on the power play when Michal Holub tied the game.
The Sockeyes retook the lead with minutes to go in the first.
Richmond then scored two unanswered goals, before Mission’s Nate Castonguay scored to make it a two-goal game again. But the Sockeyes scored another late one to leave the second period up by three.
Mission’s Justin Bowerman scored the game’s lone third-period goal.
The game got rough late in the third, as at 18:12 Holden Wilkerson received a total of 31 penalty minutes.
Wilkerson was charged with leaving the bench, fighting, and two game misconducts. Wilkerson received an eight-game suspension for his actions in the third period.
The pair of losses drops the Outlaws’ record to two wins, three losses and one overtime loss so far this season. They sit in fourth place in the Harold Brittain conference.
Mission’s next home game is against arch-rival the Abbotsford Pilots on Saturday. Faceoff is set for 6:45 p.m. at the Mission Leisure Centre.