Outliers depart for Vegas showcase!

The Utah Outliers are heading to the annual WSHL Las Vegas Showcase to compete against teams from around the league. Last season the Outliers fared very well against the competition from other divisions going 4-0. The success by the team helped spark an incredible run of seventeen wins in a row, ultimately spring boarding Utah into 3^rd place in the Mountain Division. This season the Outliers are in different territory, sitting with a record of 20-5-0.

Being in second place going into the showcase, the talent Utah will face should be much more fierce. Slated opponents are the Valencia Flyers, the Long Beach Bombers, and the Oklahoma City Blazers. All three of these opponents have started off very strong and found themselves amongst the top of the entire WSHL. The Valencia Flyers currently hold a 16-7-0 record and find themselves in 2^nd place in the Western Division. The Long Beach Bombers have a 20-3-2 record and are in 1^st place in the Western Division. Finally, the Oklahoma City Blazers started out 21-0-0 before a setback saw them lose three games in a row. They responded this past weekend winning two more games to give them a 23-3-0 record coming into the showcase.

Going into the week in Vegas, the Outliers are fortunate to have had a number of different players step up at different points throughout the season. The depth of scoring is a huge reason why the team has been so difficult to slow down. Up front, there is a unique stat line the team carries. One player each has goals ranging from 15 down to 8.  Kane Toriumi leads the way with 15 goals, followed by Brandon Krumpschmid with 14. In the helpers department, Zack Hoffman is out in front with 27 assists, while Gianni Vitali has earned 26. Hoffman and Vitali also share a tie for the lead in points with 39 a piece, with captain Jacob Wanstrom not far behind with 32 points.

If the Outliers hope to show their dominance at the showcase, the dynamic duo in net needs to keep performing as one of the best tandems in the league. Dawson Rodin carries with him 10 wins (top 5) and a save percentage of 95%, (best in the league) to go along with a 1.72 goals against average. His partner Otto Saxin is not far behind with 8 wins of his own and a 93 save percentage (7^th overall) to go with a 1.20 goals against average.

The games this upcoming week are a great test for the Outliers to see how the other divisions stack up to the Mountain Division. These teams could very well be in the fight for the Thorne Cup towards the end of the season. A strong showing could put a target on Utah’s back as one of the teams to beat in hopes of winning it all. Everyone can watch the games online via blackdogenterprises. Game one puck drop is scheduled for 2:45 PM at City National Arena B against the Valencia Flyers.

Stay tuned for more in depth analysis of each of these teams the Outliers will face this upcoming week.

GO OUTLIERS!