After dropping game one of the Pacific Junior Hockey League regular season, the Mission City Outlaws bounced back last week by earning three of four possible points in two games.
The Outlaws posted win one of the season on Sept. 12, downing the Aldergrove Kodiaks 5-3 on the road.
With the game tied at three after 40 minutes, Mission took over in the third with a pair of unanswered goals and kept the Kodiaks off the scoreboard.
Conner Jollymore scored a power play goal at 13:03 of the third, and Max Corazza added another at 17:23 for a little insurance. The teams were tied after both the first and second periods.
Mission’s top line of Corazza, Kyle Mooney and Tristyn Olson continues to impress, as Corazza had a three-point night (two goals, one assist) and Mooney collected four points (one goal, three assists). Griffin Abbott scored the other goal for the Outlaws.
Mission goalie Matthew Trulsen had a strong performance in the win, making 39 saves. Special teams nearly hurt the Outlaws, as they allowed a pair of shorthanded goals in the second period and went just one for seven with the man advantage.
The Outlaws then hosted the Richmond Sockeyes on the Saturday for the regular season home opener at the Mission Leisure Centre.
Corazza opened the scoring with a power play goal at 4:21 of the first period, and that goal stood until late in the third period, when the Sockeyes tied the game. Richmond then earned the 2-1 win in overtime.
Outlaws head coach Brad Veitch said the third period was his club’s downfall.
“I was happy with the first and second periods and thought we played a structured and every physical game and were disciplined,” he told the Mission Outlaws blog. “In the third period we stopped moving our feet a little bit and panicked and just played way too much in our own zone.”
Trulsen again was solid, stopping 31 shots in the setback.
Making his return to the Outlaws this weekend was forward Noah Wiebe, who was dealt to Mission by the Abbotsford Pilots. Wiebe was a member of the Outlaws PJHL championship team in 2016, and has spent the past two seasons with the Pilots. Last season he was the Abbotsford team captain.
“Noah is an all-around great player,” Veitch said. “He’s very offensive, but can also play for us in the last minute, kills penalties and is a leader. He adds a confidence and calm to the dressing room.”
Wiebe added one assist against the Kodiaks. Mission also dealt defenceman Haydn Downing to the Kodiaks for future considerations on Monday.
Mission took on the Surrey Knights in Surrey on Thursday night, but results were not available at press time. The club next hosts the Kodiaks on Saturday at the MLC. Face-off is set for 6:45 p.m.
For more on the team, visit missioncityoutlaws.com.
