The Outlaw’s playoff hopes are up in the air following Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Kodiaks.
Mission needs some help from the Langley Trappers who play against the Aldergrove Kodiaks on Wednesday.
Both Mission and Aldergrove are vying for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Harold Brittain Conference of the Pacific Junior Hockey League.
The Outlaws found themselves battling from behind early in the game, as Langley opened the scoring at 6:39 of the first period.
In the second period, the Outlaws were on the penalty kill for most of it, allowing six minor penalties. Unfortunately they could not battle all of them off, as the Kodiaks scored two goals on the power play at 10:59 and 17:10.
Mission did have some fight in them left when Maximilian Corazza scored his 14th goal of the season coming on the power play at 10:19 midway through the third period.
Under two minutes later, Nicholas Thomson was able to bury his first career PJHL goal coming off a backhand pass from Maximilian Corazza.
“Corazza was in a battle on the boards there, and the puck kind of just squeaked out, he made a good backhand pass and I threw it on net. When you throw things on net, good things happen” said Thomson.
With nine seconds left, and with their goalie pulled, the Outlaws had a two man advantage late in the third period but were unable to capitalize.
Outlaws’ Assistant Captain Haydn Downing described the loss, “overall, we need to show up for a full 60 minutes.”
Mission’s Maximilian Corazza was named the games’ first star with a goal and an assist. Matthew Trulsen was given the games’ second star stopping 46 out of 49 shots faced for the Outlaws.
The Outlaws are down but not out.
If Aldergrove loses against Langley on Wednesday, then the Outlaws’ have a chance if they want to push for the final spot in the PJHL playoffs and face the top team from the Harold Brittain Conference, which will either be Ridge Meadows or Abbotsford.
Mission has two more games remaining on their schedule this week, both at the Mission Leisure Centre. On Friday they play host to the Surrey Knights at 7 p.m. and at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday against Ridge Meadows.
“We gotta get the intensity going again, and we’re all pretty positive about it, so we just need to get going and get these two wins for us” said Downing.
Playoffs for the PJHL will begin later this month.