The Mission City Outlaws celebrated the Thanksgiving Long Weekend with wins on Friday and Saturday, and the now surging club has won three of its last four games.
The Outlaws traveled to Maple Ridge on Friday to take on the Ridge Meadows Flames, and fell behind 2-0 after the first period.
Mission’s Kyle Sackmann and Justin Hargrave then replied in the second, to make it a 2-2 game after 40 minutes.
The offence continued for the Outlaws in the third, with Blake Clease, Tristan Takats (power play) and Chase Newman putting Mission up 5-2 with three goals in the first 7:45 of the third.
The Flames drew within two with a goal at 9:52, but Mission’s Enrico Van Tunen added some insurance with an empty net goal with 10 seconds remaining to earn the 6-3 win.
Newman (three), Clease (two) and Jayden Martin (two) all had multi-point games in the victory.
Mission’s Isaac Elias made 29 saves in the win and was named the game’s first star.
The Outlaws outshot the Flames 37-32, and remained disciplined by allowing just three opportunities for the Flames to play with the man advantage.
The Outlaws returned to action the next night, when the Surrey Knights visited the Mission Leisure Centre.
Surrey scored the lone goal in the first period, and that goal held up until 7:21 of the third period when Clease tied the game up.
Sackmann and Clease again, this time on the power play, put the Outlaws up 3-1 at 14:52.
Surrey made it a one-goal game late, but Hargrave scored with 40 seconds left to help Mission skate away with a 4-2 win.
Mission’s Daniel Zuvic made 20 saves for the win.
Hargrave (two), Clease (two) and Martin (three) all had multi-point games, and the Outlaws penalty kill was perfect by killing all four penalties they were assessed.
Hargrave continues to have a strong season for the Outlaws, as he has now collected 14 points in 13 games and is 19th overall in the Pacific Junior Hockey League scoring race.
Clease, a rookie, now leads the Outlaws with a team-high seven goals.
Mission leapfrogged the Abbotsford Pilots in the Harold Brittain conference standings, and now sit in third place with a record of 5-6-2.
The Outlaws return to the MLC on Saturday, when the Port Moody Panthers come to town.
Face-off is set to take place at 6:45 p.m.
