OUTLIERS HOST MUSTANGS FOR LAST HOME GAME OF 2018
The Utah Outliers return to action this Friday, December 14th, 2018 at the Acord Ice Arena in West Valley, UT to take on the Ogden Mustangs in the last home game for 2018. This Friday is also a special event game as the Outliers are hosting the Teddy Bear Toss, which is a charitable Christmas event popular to the sport of ice hockey. Fans are encouraged to bring a teddy bear or a stuffed toy to the game. When the Outliers score the first goal of the game, fans will then toss the stuffed toys onto the ice in celebration. The stuffed toys will be collected and then donated to ‘Silicon Slopes Serves’ and distributed to under privileged children for the holidays.
This game marks the fourth meeting between the two in state rivals this season, with the Mustangs holding a 3-0 edge. The issue for Utah has been in the form of being unable to crack net minder Artur Ogandzhanyan. In the three contests, Artur has turned away an impressive 72 of 74 shots. If the Outliers want to get in the win column against the Mustangs, they need to pick up their scoring frequency. Both Utah and Ogden currently are amongst the WSHL lead in the standings with the Outliers tied for 4th at 51 points, while the Mustangs sit in 1st, with a decent 7 point lead over the second place team. The Outliers are also currently in 5th place in offense and defense, while the Mustangs hold the top spot in both categories.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
For Ogden, the players to keep an eye on during Friday’s game are its returners from last season (Rampinelli, Anderson, Mascali, Currie, Gulliver, Kruzel). All six of these veterans have above 30 points and have been major factors in a team offense that has averaged over 6 goals scored per game.
Utah will rely on the same faces they have all season to generate offense. Matt Bartel and Nicholas Ness still lead the way with 32 and 31 points respectively. Czech forwards Jan Dvorak and Miroslav Hradecky (2 goals last weekend returning from injury) have also been heating up, along with veteran Anthony Masanotti. For Utah, a balanced attack is key to the team finding the score sheet.
This game is a huge chance for both teams to build some momentum as the Las Vegas Showcase approaches. Games for the Las Vegas event start this upcoming Tuesday, so both Ogden and Utah will look to keep their legs going and sharpen their skills in preparation for the showcase. Make sure not to miss this very exciting game between these two teams and don’t forget to bring a teddy bear for a very good cause!