Steffen Bell
Ogden Mustangs Broadcaster
WEST VALLEY, Ut. -- As one chapter of history came to a close, another was reborn.
Jake Meure notched his fourth career overtime game-winning goal (all-time franchise leader) in a 3-2 victory over the Utah Outliers Saturday night.
"We were able to carry the puck up the ice and get some time in the offensive zone. When the puck got back to me, I decided to take it out and regroup instead of forcing a play and potentially losing possession. One of the Outliers players decided to go for a change which opened up a lane for me to skate in down the middle for a grade-A shot," as Meure vividly describes the play.
That shot not only won the Mustangs the game but also helped his team earn their sixth victory of the season. Meure's goal also marked the sixth different player to register a game-winning goal in as many games.
"I get to play with some really good hockey players and teammates. Guys like Washco and Cade -- Right now, I'm playing with Dimi and Mater. They're all good hockey players and it's easy to feed off of those guys. So I attribute a lot of success to my teammates."
Ogden's forecheck got to work early when Daniel Pflazer and Andrey Shmakov combined to win possession and put a quick shot on goal. Tucker Thorstad cashed in on the loose puck rebound and scored his first goal of the season at 2:41 of the first period.
The Mustangs attack had ample opportunities to increase their lead in the first period but were robbed by a combination of terrific goaltending and the bad luck of hitting the post or crossbar. Nevertheless, Ogden continued to press on and outshot the Outliers 27-15 through two periods.
Deven Boldway's second goal of the season came on the power play 22 seconds into the second period. His shot from the point snuck in with traffic screening the goaltender giving Ogden a 2-0 lead.
Team-leading scorer Lukas Washco picked up two assists on the evening to push his point total to nine. The hard-nosed forward was stifled on a breakaway late in the second period but was brilliant most of the night for Ogden, even facing adversity late in the game.
"It was just a loss of focus in the last two minutes on Saturday as opposed to the last time we played," Washco compared to the previous matchup against the Outliers. "This weekend is going to be ten times better. We have a stacked roster and we're ready to come at every team's first line. The boys, Coach Kenny and the fans all motivate me to play at this level and I love being part of something special here in Ogden."
With one period left to go, the Mustangs were not only looking to pick up their Mountain Division leading-sixth win but also their third consecutive shutout.
As time dwindled, the Outliers kept pouring shots in on Savva Serdiuk. Turning away shot after shot, Ogden appeared to be taking another step towards history.
With 1:30 remaining, a shot from the point was tipped in front and flew over the shoulder of Serdiuk. The Mustangs were clinging onto a one-goal lead, but the shutout streak was over. Their streak ended at 190:32 and second-best all-time in franchise history.
"I think we just got a little too ahead of ourselves," Captain Jack Jones said. "We had a long shutout streak and we just let it get to our heads towards the end. Moving forward, we want to turn things up and bring the fire this weekend in front of our fans."
The thing that makes rivalries like this one is a flair for the dramatic. The Outliers sent their crowd into a frenzy when they scored eleven seconds later and tied the game 2-2 with 1:19 remaining in the game.
However, this chapter ended in favor of the Mustangs as regulation ended and magic struck again in overtime.
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Tickets are available at tickets.ogdenmustangs.com
Saturday, October 16th vs. Pueblo Bulls | 3:00 PM
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Tickets are available at tickets.ogdenmustangs.com
Saturday, October 16th | Utah Grizzlies vs. Idaho Steelheads | 7:15 PM
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