OUTLIERS HIT THE ROAD FOR BATTLE WITH STAMPEDE

The Utah Outliers are on the road and making the trek to Cheyenne to do battle with the Cheyenne Stampede this upcoming weekend. The second weekend of 2019 and the first road trip of the second half of the season is instrumental for the Outliers as they look to build on their recent success. Utah is 5-1 in their last six games and is coming off a sweep last weekend in which the team dismantled the Casper Bobcats by a 17-5 margin. The three game set is also the last tune up before the Outliers prepare for three games in a row against 1^st place Ogden Mustangs.

The Cheyenne Stampede are still in the process of turning the corner after a rough start to the season. Over the past few series, Cheyenne has began picking up points more consistently and is looking to keep improving as the season enters the second half. A bright spot for the Stampede has come in the form of 99’ forward Bryan Watters, who currently leads the team in all offensive categories with 20 goals, 18 assists, and 38 points. Watters has been consistent all season and is always a threat to putting up points. Logan Syrup is currently second in assists and points with 16 and 23 respectively, while new forward Kody Kifer has put up 7 points in 9 games since joining Cheyenne. In net, Brendan Carew has earned the lion’s share of games with a 4-11-1-0 record and an 89 save percentage.

For the Outliers, the tandem of Matt Bartel and Nicholas Ness still leads the way up front with 41 combined goals and 48 combined assists. Assistant captain Benji Mickel has also been emerging offensively with 6 goals and 5 assists in his last 6 games. On the back end, Jakub Lelek and Jake Papesh are adding a second wave of scoring with 5 goals a piece, while 2000 born veteran Brad McCloskey has also seen a jump in production. In his third season with the team, the Florida native has already doubled his point totals from the previous two seasons. In net, the combination of Oscar Wahlgren and Jack Walsh continues to be a positive for Utah with 13 and 8 wins respectively and both also carry over a 90 save percentage.

In the previous matchup between these two Mountain Division opponents, Utah used their depth and took it to Cheyenne, winning all three games by scores of 6-0, 5-1, and 15-1. Now heading on the road to always rowdy Cheyenne Ice & Events Center, the team is looking to replicate those outcomes and continue their push to claim as a Thorne Cup Championship contender. Game one puck drop is scheduled for 7:35 PM Friday night. Be sure to catch all the action on Blackdog Enterprises, and also keep an eye out on social media for updates during the games.

Go Outliers!