Outliers Beat Spud Kings

Outliers Dominate in 5–1 Road Win Over Idaho Falls

The Utah Outliers continued their strong play on Wednesday night with a convincing 5–1 victory over the Idaho Falls Spud Kings at the Mountain America Center.

Goaltender Colin Tornqvist earned his second consecutive start for Utah and once again delivered an impressive performance, making 28 saves and providing the steady presence his team needed on the road.

Utah wasted no time setting the tone early in the game, dictating the pace with its physical play and applying pressure on the Spud Kings’ defense. Just over five minutes into the opening period, Johnny Carney chased down a loose puck in the offensive zone and sent a perfect centering pass to Magzhan Sagadiev, who buried it from the slot to give the Outliers a 1–0 lead.

The remainder of the first period featured some hard-nosed defensive play from Utah as they defended their zone as a 5-man unit and thwarted many of Idaho Falls offensive threats. Colin Tornqvist also proved to be up for the task as he made some timely saves for his club. 

The Spud Kings managed to tie the game early in the second period when a failed Utah clearing attempt led to a turnover and a quick passing play that found the back of the net. 

The Outliers wasted little time responding and regaining momentum. Defenseman Hank Davis fired a shot from the point that deflected off a defender and landed right on the stick of Erik Bachtle, who tucked the rebound home to restore Utah’s lead at 2–1.

Moments later, the Outliers struck again—this time while shorthanded. As time expired on the penalty kill, Bachtle blocked a shot and sent a perfect pass to Aidan Gordon, who had just exited the penalty box. Gordon broke in alone and ripped a shot past the Idaho Falls netminder to extend Utah's lead to 3–1.

Tornqvist was outstanding in the second frame, turning away 13 shots and making several key saves to keep the Spud Kings from clawing back.

Utah came out in the third period determined to finish the job. Their aggressive forecheck and physical play wore down the Spud Kings as they tightened their defensive stance and looked to add some more offense. 

While on the penalty kill, Tyler Gudjonson picked up the puck in transition, skated down the left wing, and rifled a shot into the top corner for a highlight-reel goal that made it 4–1.

The Outliers capped off the scoring minutes later when Sjur Ostbo led a 2-on-1 rush with Oscar Bylund. Ostbo fed a slick cross-ice pass to Bylund, who one-timed it home to seal the 5–1 win.

The Outliers skated off the ice with another impressive performance—showcasing their solid team structure, discipline, and depth. Tornqvist’s 28-save effort earned him another well-deserved win as Utah continues to build confidence with each game. 

Following the game, Outliers head coach Paul Taylor praised his team’s response and execution:

“I thought our group did an excellent job of playing a hard-fought game,” said Taylor. “We showed great composure after Idaho tied the game and stuck to our structure. Our special teams were strong, and Colin made some big saves at key moments. It was a solid road effort and a good step forward for our team.”

The team will be back in action on October 24th, when they travel to face the Rock Springs Grizzlies. Fans can catch all the action live on blackbearsports.tv.