Weekend preview: Outliers and Mustangs go head to head

The Utah Outliers continue their successful season this weekend as they prepare for the Ogden Mustangs in a home and home series. The top two teams in the Northwest Division will battle it out for the six points on the line. Both teams are on a roll with the Outliers riding a 12 game win streak and the Mustangs boasting 20 wins and yet to be beaten this season.  

The Outliers and Mustangs met earlier this season in October and Ogden took game one 2-1, followed by a 4-3 victory. The Outliers will look to bounce back this weekend and try to tie the series with two wins of their own. The games between these two teams will be sure to show some fast-paced action and hard-hitting. 

Some players to keep an eye on this weekend for the Mustangs are forwards Shane Gilbert (17G, 28A), Zach Pires (19G, 24A) and Gleb Krivoshapkin (22G, 19A). On the backend, the Mustangs are led by Johan Zollner (10G, 19A) and Oliver Wieringa (13G, 15A). Newly acquired goaltender Travis Allen, is expected to be in net to backstop the team. 

The Outliers are hoping to continue using its team depth to overwhelm opponents. Each weekend a new face has stepped up and led the scoring for the boys in black. Being able to rely on a full bench to score, and also having players who can take over a game, Utah has shown the ability to attack in multiple ways. The team will hope to continue that trend and find some timely goals this weekend. Currently, eight players have more than 10 goals, led by forwards Ben Doherty and Josh Harrell with 15 goals apiece. Defenseman Helvijs Rudzajs leads all defensemen with 12 goals. Goaltender Oskar Wahlgren continues his strong performances between the pipes carrying a 1.51 GAA and a .938 SV%.

Game one is scheduled for Friday at the Acord Ice Center for 7:00 PM MST. Game two is set to take place on Saturday at 7:30 PM MST at the Ice Sheet in Ogden. 

Friday night's game at the Acord Ice Center is sponsored by Renee's Custom Embroidery. Renee offers a full-service branding shop. Individuals and businesses can have logos, branding, and promotional items custom-designed for their needs and are sure to receive the highest quality. For all your embroidery needs contact Renee!