BATTLE OF UTAH RESUMES

The Utah Outliers are riding a wave of momentum after completing their second sweep in a row against the Steamboat Wranglers. This weekend, a familiar foe stands in the way of the win streak as Utah is set to play a home and home series against the Ogden Mustangs. As some may remember, the opening game of the WSHL season featured these two clubs, with Ogden winning a close 2-0 game in West Valley. Since that game, neither team has lost and both teams are sitting in first and second place in the league respectively: OGD (7-0-0) / UT (6-1-0).

Both Utah and Ogden come into the two game set nearly even across the board. In goals scored, Utah holds a slight edge (45-39), whereas in goals scored against, Ogden has a small advantage (12-15). In regards to special teams, Utah is sitting in first place and has a positive advantage of +11 with a 35 powerplay percentage and 94% kill rate, while Ogden is in second with a positive advantage of +10, 26 powerplay percentage, and 86% kill rate. With the tale of the tape being nearly identical across the board, it should make for a very exciting weekend of hockey.

Some players to keep an eye out for on the Mustangs are the returners from last season. Rhett Rampinelli, Ryan Mascali, Ian Currie, Harry Gulliver, Kerry Kruzel, and Ammon Anderson all are sitting with double-digit points, and have been big contributors in helping Ogden get off to the fast start they are normally accustomed to. Goaltender Artur Ogandzhanyan is also carrying his weight, starting the season 6-0 with a 94 save percentage.

For Utah, Jan Dvorak leads the charge with 6 goals and 8 assists. The depth of the Outliers has helped their early success, as every player has at least 3 points, and all but four players have scored at least one goal. The depth has also extended to the crease, as each goaltender (Oscar Wahlgren, Kenton Kim, Jack Walsh) have winning records and have seen action in multiple games.

Friday night the rivalry continues as both Utah and Ogden look to make their claim for Mountain Division supremacy. Fireworks always fly when these foes meet, and this series should be no different. Make sure to tune in Friday night at 7:30 for game one in Ogden, UT, and also again Saturday night at 6:30 PM back in West Valley, UT.