After a three-week break over the holidays, the Ogden Mustangs were back on the ice last weekend in Valencia, Calif., with hopes to pick up where they had left off.
The Mustangs went 3-1 at the Western States Shootout just before the break, stringing together back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but the Valencia Flyers spoiled their plans of carrying that momentum forward.
Valencia took the first game of the series against the visiting Mustangs 2-0 on Friday, the second game 6-1 on Saturday and the final 12-3 on Sunday morning.
Flyer goaltender Stephen Palmer was a brick wall against the Mustangs. He stopped all 26 shots he faced for the shutout Friday and was nearly perfect on Saturday, stopping 33 of 34 shots. He stoppe 19 shots on Sunday.
After being held off the score sheet in the first game, Valencia leading-scorer Eddie Keshishian showed why he is one of the most prolific scorers in the WSHL in Saturday’s game, scoring two goals and adding an assist. Keshishian is second in league scoring with 58 points in 31 games this season.
The Mustangs adapted to playing with a slightly different lineup against the Flyers. The team had released forward Jan Vcislak after an immigration issue that forced him to return to the Czech Republic. Ogden signed Greg Gross from the Orangeville Americans in the Greater Metro Hockey League to fill the vacant forward position. The Mustangs also acquired defenseman Erik Fischer from the Great Falls Americans of the America West Hockey League over the break.
Sunday, the Flyers skated out to a 5-0 edge after one period. Ogden got goals from Alex Pizarro, Lukas Moudry and Anthony Moudreck to trim the lead to 103 before Valencia scored the final two. The home team outshot Ogden 50-22 in the finale, and chippy contest in which three players were ejected.
Keshishian added two goals and an assist in the series finale.
Devon Detillieux scored for Ogden on Saturday night.
The Mustangs have now played 19 games on the road this season and just 12 at home. The team has this coming weekend off, before hitting the road again for games Jan. 20 and 21 against the rival Park City Moose.
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