The Abbotsford Pilots defended home ice on Friday, dispatching arch-rival the Mission City Outlaws 4-2.
The Pilots never trailed during the game, which saw the clubs fire a combined 89 shots on goal and witness 15 minor penalties assessed.
After a scoreless first period, the Pilots opened the scoring at 3:02 of the second period after Kyle Lennea tallied against his former team. Mission’s Tyler Wickman tied the game up two minutes later, but the Pilots took the lead back at 10:54, when Justin Peaker lit the lamp.
Carter Shannon put Abbotsford up 3-1 at 3:32 of the third period, but Justin Bowerman drew the Outlaws within one just three minutes later. Pilots forward Nate Castonguay added some insurance at 16:32 to seal the win.
Both goalies were solid in the net, as Mission’s Matthew Trulsen made 40 saves, while Abbotsford’s Jacob Crawford made 43 stops for his 11th win of the season.
Castonguay and Lennea both recorded multi-point games for the Pilots.
The game featured a significant amount of rough stuff, as a total of six misconducts were handed out, and one player from each team was booted out of the game.
Abbotsford’s win was a nice bounce-back for the team, after falling 6-4 on the road to the Aldergrove Kodiaks on Wednesday.
The teams were tied after the first and second periods, and it wasn’t until late in the third that the Kodiaks skated away with the win.
The Pilots got goals from Alexander Methorst (two), Jamie Housch and Kolby Steen. Methorst, Steen and Lennea all picked up two points apiece in the loss.
Crawford made 23 saves in between the pipes. Abbotsford fired just 21 shots on goal, and went one for six on the power play.
Abbotsford’s record in Pacific Junior Hockey League regular-season action now sits at 16 wins, eight losses and one overtime loss.
They remain in second place in the Harold Brittain conference and five points behind the first place Kodiaks.
In other Pilots news, the club picked up forward Carter Shannon from the Osoyoos Coyotes of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League in exchange for future considerations on Nov. 17. The Abbotsford native has four points in his first four games with the Pilots.
The Pilots return to action on Friday, when they host the North Vancouver Wolf Pack at 7:30 p.m. Abbotsford then renews their rivalry with the Outlaws when they travel to Mission on Saturday.
