Outliers Outlast Oilers

VERNAL, UT — The Park City Outliers (5-1-0-0) pulled off their first one-goal victory of the season with a 5-4 comeback road handling of the Vernal Oilers (2-2-1-1) on Saturday night. Forward Grant Barksdale added the game-winning tally with about two and a half minutes left on the clock. Captain Erick Bachtle marked two goals in the victory while forward Max Young nabbed three points with goals on back-to-back evenings.

A second-year Outlier, Young called his current spell a necessary one. He remarked, “It kind of felt unreal… like a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Lighting the lamp for the first time on Friday, Young’s three-point Saturday outing included that tally and a pair of assists, one of which arrived to set up Barksdale’s game-winner. “Just park yourself in front of the net, and good things happen,” he began. He described the style as, “Just sticking with the process, getting our forecheck going, getting pucks to the net, keeping them low, and just believing that we can get it done, and we pushed through here.”

Head coach Richard Bohan praised Young’s style over the past couple contests. He explained, “He was simplifying his game. He was making plays that he can make. I think when you manage the game and just focus on the basics and make the plays that are there, the rest will follow, and that’s what he did. He got rewarded for it.”

The headman reflected on Bachtle’s leadership as a returner from last year’s roster by discussing his perseverance. He said, “His intensity every single day, the fire that kid come to the rink with every day and just how hard he plays — how physical he is, his toughness in every single aspect, his ability to fight through adversity — he’s a mental warrior.”

The contest began with a Keene Lincoln powerplay goal. With Young’s marker and Bachtle’s score, Park City finished three-for-five on the man advantage, the best line of the season.

Park City heads back to the Black Rock Mountain Event Center to host the Casper Warbirds on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:05 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.pcoutliers.com/tickets.