The Mission City Outlaws have now lost three straight games on home ice, but will have one more opportunity for a local win before the calendar turns to 2020.
Mission hosted the Langley Trappers on Saturday, and fell behind 3-0 over the first two and a half periods before Dylan Stoltz got the Outlaws on the board at 14:51. Matthew Konrad and Jayden Martin drew the assists on the goal, which was all Mission could muster in the 3-1 loss.
The Outlaws outshot the Trappers 29-27, and Mission goalie Daniel Zuvic made 24 saves in the loss.
The game got ugly late, with three Trappers players receiving 10-minute misconducts. Langley’s Carter Graham was assessed with a one game suspension for getting a game misconduct in the last 10 minutes of the game.
The Outlaws struggles at home ice have now seen the team dip to one of the worst records in the Pacific Junior Hockey League on home ice. Mission now sits at 6-7-2-1 at the Mission Leisure Centre, only better than the lowly winless Surrey Knights.
The team is .500 (8-8) away from the MLC, and that trend continued as the team took down the Richmond Sockeyes 7-6 in overtime on Dec. 12.
Mission led 3-2 after 20 minutes, with Dawson Campbell, Mackenzie Adams and Tristan Takats all scoring. The lead extended to a 5-4 edge after 40 minutes, with Jack McMillan and Takats lighting the lamp.
Outlaws forward Dylan Tonks put Mission up 6-4 early into the third, but Richmond came on strong late in the game with two goals to send the game to overtime.
Takats was then the overtime hero as he completed a hat trick at 1:52 of the extra frame. Despite having a four-point night, Takats was only the second star of the game, with Richmond’s Garrett Wicks (three goals, one assist) earning the hometown nod for first star.
Other Mission players with multi-point nights included: Chase Newman (two), Stotlz (three), Campbell (two), Matthew Konrad (three) and Blake Clease (three). The power plays of both teams were on fire, as Mission went four for eight, while Richmond was successful three for eight.
It was a rough night for both goalies, but Zuvic made 40 saves to earn his ninth win on the season. The game also saw Campbell receive a two-game suspension for his third minor penalty for head contact this season.
Justin Hargrave remains the Outlaws leading scorer this season, with 32 points in 31 games. He sits 17th overall in league scoring.
Mission sits in third place in the Harold Brittain conference, with a record of 14-15-2-1.
The Outlaws close out 2019 with a game on Friday in Maple Ridge against the Ridge Meadows Flames, and close out 2019 on Saturday when the Abbotsford Pilots come to the MLC. Face-off is set for 6:45 p.m.
