It wasn’t easy, but the Mission City Outlaws skated away with two points on home ice on Saturday.
The Outlaws needed overtime to dispose of the Surrey Knights, as Brenden Saether secured the win with a power play goal 35 seconds into the extra frame. Surrey jumped out to a 2-0 lead late into the first period, but Brayden Durante closed the gap to one at 15:09.
Mission grabbed the lead back in the second period, with a pair of goals from Michael Nemeth.
But that lead slipped away at 16:28 of the third period when the Knights tallied on a power play goal to send the game to overtime.
Mission outshot Surrey 46-25, and Outlaws goalie Matthew Trulsen made 23 saves for his second win of the season.
Saether, who had a two-point night, said it was a relief to help the Outlaws get the win.
“Felt good, getting the two points,” he said. “It was a tough battle. Those guys played hard. We didn’t panic, though. We stuck to our game plan.”
He said the first period nearly cost Mission the game.
“No excuses, but it’s never easy playing back to back. It was a tough game last night too. We started pretty sluggish tonight, but stuck to our system. In the end, we won and that’s what matters.”
The win came off a 3-1 loss to the Abbotsford Pilots on Friday.
Justin Hargrave opened the scoring for the Outlaws, and they held the 1-0 lead until the middle of the second. Abbotsford added two goals in the third period to win.
The game between the two rivals was marred by penalties, with 152 penalty minutes assessed in total. Tempers boiled over in the third period, with Abbotsford’s Baylee Wright and Tyler Wickman, along with Mission’s Haydn Downing, all receiving game misconducts.
Outlaws player Liam Robinson was also assessed a match penalty at 18:52 of the third period, and he is likely facing a suspension.
Mission’s next home game is on Saturday at 6:45 p.m. against the Pilots.
