Outliers sweep Stampede

This past weekend the Utah Outliers picked up three more crucial wins in the ever-tight Mountain Division race for first place. The Outliers made no mistake in earning every point possible to stay ahead of the pack and fend off the Ogden Mustangs and the Colorado Jr. Eagles. The weekend series against the Cheyenne Stampede was concluded in dominating fashion, as the Outliers outscored the opponents 35-1. The offense was sharp and the defense was stifling, a good sign for Utah as they welcome in the always dangerous Idaho IceCats this upcoming weekend.

Kane Toriumi stole the show in game one, leading the offensive onslaught with 3 goals and 3 assists. In what was a breakout weekend for the 97’ forward, he would go on to find the stat sheet often in all three games. Not to be outdone, new addition Alex Crilley also recorded a hattrick. Zack Hoffman earned 1 goal and 3 assists, and Brandon Krumpschmid registered 4 assists. Six other Outliers found the back of the net, including Jan Pixa who played in his first game since joining Utah. The young net minder Trenton Wendt earned his first junior hockey shutout in the 13-0 win.

Game two was filled with numerous chances and superb goaltending early from Stampede backstop Robbie Hufnagel. The Cheyenne goalie only allowed one goal in the first period, keeping the visitors in the game. The score remained 1-0 until early in the second frame, when Nikita Gordeev found a way to get one past the Outliers. The Stampede goal would be the only blemish for Utah, and the lone goal the opponents would be able to score all weekend. The goal fueled the Utah attack, which went on to score 4 goals in the second, and another 5 goals in the third. Once again, Toriumi led the way, pumping in 3 goals. Captain Jacob Wanstrom collected 2 goals and 2 assists. Dylan Massie also recorded 2 goals to go along with 1 assist. Krumpschmid once again led the way in the help department with 3 assists, and another new addition William Wikner earned 2 assists of his own. Otto Saxin started in net, and earned his 11^th win of the season.

In the final contest of the weekend, the Outliers put an exclamation point on the series, crushing the Stampede 12-0. The newly formed line of Oskars Ancitis, Roman Svik, and Jan Pixa led the charge for Utah, with each collecting a handful of points. Ancitis registered a hattrick to go along with 1 assist, Svik recorded 2 goals and 3 assists, and Pixa scored 1 goal and had 3 assists. Toriumi failed to get his third hattrick of the weekend, but did manage to score 2 goals to go along with 1 assist. Dawson Rodin started the game for the Outliers and earned his 17^th win of the year.

This weekend the Outliers face one of their toughest opponents yet, in the form of the Idaho IceCats. Idaho always has one of the top teams in the league, and this year is no different. Currently, the IceCats sit atop the Northwest Division, boasting a 34-4-1 record.

The weekend promises to be action packed and full of fireworks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 PM Friday, 6:35 PM Saturday, and 1:00 PM Sunday.