By: Jimmy Grosklaus

This weekend, the Tri-City Outlaws traveled to Bremerton, WA to take on the West Sound Warriors for the first time this season. Both teams went into this weekend hungry for their first win on the year. The Outlaws (0-4-1-0, 0 pts) came off of a disappointing weekend in Seattle, losing to the Ravens by a score of 2-1 in a heartbreaking finish. The Warriors (2-4-0-0, 4 pts) on the other hand, were no test for current league leaders Eugene Generals, losing both games last weekend 13-4 and 13-0.

On Friday the Outlaws got off to a quick start, with a goal at the 3:13 mark of the first period from Aiden Johnson. This was Johnson’s first junior career goal and an exciting one at that. Another career first was made Friday night when Will Griffith put the puck past the Warriors’ Jeremiah Levitt, with a pass from forward Payton Okon, to put the Outlaws up by a score of 2-0.   Outlaws goaltender, Shane Phillips, shut down West Sound and some pretty tough scoring chances throughout the period. The Warriors’ Alexander Dudley was able to cut the lead in half before the period was over.  At the end of the first it was an all-out shooting frenzy with the Outlaws getting 17 shots while the Warriors put up 16.

The Warriors got off to a quick start in the second with a goal from Henry Waite, shortly after the puck drop. The Outlaws’ Ty Niskanen answered right back with his first goal of the season, bringing the score to 3-2 Outlaws advantage. The Outlaws fought ferociously by putting on shot after shot but were unable to find the back of the net the rest of the period.  In the last minutes of the second period, the Warriors managed to score three goals propelling them to a 5-3 lead. The goals were scored by Christopher Mitchell (short-handed), Scotty Perkins, and Alexander Dudley. The Outlaws outshot the Warriors by an outstanding total of 21-9 at the end of the period but would only find themselves down by two.

When the puck dropped for the third, the Warriors’ Perkins was able to get his second of the night right off of the face off. The Outlaws continued to pepper the netminder Levitt, but he was equal to every task, stopping all 15 shots in the third.  The Warriors would go on to score one more goal at the 13:20 mark off of a shot from Donald Cribbs. The Outlaws would lose the period and the game by a score of 7-3 despite outshooting the Warriors 15-8 in the third.

GAME SUMMARY

• Final Score: Outlaws 3, Warriors 7
• Shots: Outlaws 46, Warriors 40
• Power Plays: Outlaws 0-3, Warriors 0-3

On Saturday, Coach Geno McCue and his young Outlaws team came out onto the ice seeking revenge on the Warriors.  Ty Niskanen put the puck away early to give the Outlaws a 1-0 lead. Kraig Smith was able to follow that up with another goal for the Outlaws, his first junior goal, at 6:07 to extend the lead to 2-0.  The Warriors were not phased as they were able to quickly knot the game up at two with a pair of goals from Christopher Mitchell.  The Warriors were able to outshoot the Outlaws in the first by a tally of 15-10.

The second period was filled with nothing but battles and passionate play from both sides of the ice.  Niskanen was the only player for either team to score this period, giving the Outlaws a 3-2 lead. After the goal, West Sound removed goaltender Jeremiah Levitt from the game and replaced him with their new recruit, Isaac Ritschel who would go on to finish the game.  Shots at the end of the period would result in 9 each for both teams.

Early on in the third period, Scotty Perkins put the puck past netminder Jimmy Grosklaus to tie the game at 3-3.  However, the Outlaws would not go down without a fight and were able to reclaim the lead once again with Niskanen finding the back of the net for the hat trick.  In the final seconds of the game, Warriors’ Mitchell was able to get his hat trick as well and tie the game up at four goals apiece, forcing an overtime period.

The overtime period was ended quickly with a goal from West Sound’s Reid Cloward despite the Outlaws outshooting the Warriors 3-1. It was a heartbreaking loss for our boys and one they will not soon forget. Next weekend the Outlaws hope to take that fire from this weekend’s upset and snag a couple wins over the Eugene Generals in the Outlaws home-opener.

GAME SUMMARY

• Final Score: Outlaws 4, Warriors 5
• Shots: Outlaws 30, Warriors 29
• Power Plays: Outlaws 0-3, Warriors 0-4
• Game Notes: Outlaws Hat Trick - Ty Niskanen (1st Junior Career Hat Trick)