Nationals get back on the road for two in Missoula

If the Glacier Nationals are going to put some points in the standings this week, they will need to do so against a team that has dominated them in four previous meeting this season.

The Nationals, who will travel to Missoula for back-to-back games against the Missoula Jr. Bruins, will attempt to upset a team that has outscored them 32-9 in the earlier games between the two teams.

Missoula comes into the weekend, as the fourth-place team in the Frontier Division. The Jr. Bruins are 22-12-1-1. Glacier on the other hand, sits in the last place with just three points and a record of 1-34-1.

The biggest challenge for the Nationals will be slowing down the Jr. Bruins offense, which has scored an average of eight goals a game against Glacier. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Nationals lost only 6-2 and if they can keep Missoula in check offensively, they could hang around.

Misha Akatnov is the top player on the Missoula offense and comes into the weekend with 34 goals and 24 assists. Christian Ward is another Jr. Bruins skater with 20 goals, while five others have at least 12. The Nationals, on the other hand, have just two active players with five goals or more. Gavin Cline leads the way with 10 goals and seven assists, while Lindros Beard has five goals and six assists of his own. Forwards Hayden Moistner, Kevin Bird and Matt Baerg all have three goals apiece.

Between the pipes, Missoula also has one of the top goaltenders in the Frontier in Tanner Loucks, who is 10-7-1 and has a goals against average less than three. The Nationals answer with Brendan Schultz, Jeremiah Clark and Will Langstaff.

The back-to-back games between the Nationals and Jr. Bruins will take place Friday and Saturday in Missoula. The first puck will drop at 7:30 p.m., both nights.