A bit of bad luck and a shortage of offense didn't prevent the Whitehorse Mustangs from achieving a strong showing this past weekend at the Midgets Abbotsford hockey tournament.

Heading into the final contest, the Mustangs had scored just two goals and lost two straight games, but the team's persistence would pay off in a thrilling come from behind win against Saanich.

With the game seemingly out of reach and Saanich leading 3-1 with around 10 minutes to go in game four, the Mustangs went to work. The team scored three goals in less than two minutes and then added an empty net tally to seal the 5-3 victory.

"Hopefully that will give them confidence for the next tournament and hopefully we are out of this scoring drought," said Midget Mustangs coach, Jim Stephens about the win against Saanich.

"They could have just thrown in the towel being behind 3-1 and not being able to buy a goal, but they didn't quit and it paid off for them, so I am pretty pleased. That was a real exciting game."

In its tournament opener, the Mustangs faced off against a AAA calibre team out of Kelowna called Pursuit of Excellence, which were one of the toughest teams in the field.

After a scoreless first period, Pursuit of Excellent got on the board nearing the conclusion of the second frame and took a 1-0 lead into the final period.

In the third, with the game winding down, Mustangs forward Trevor Hanna went to work, notching the team's first goal in the final five minutes.

Hanna scored the goal from around the face off circle after he came out from behind the net and fired a shot through traffic. Bryden Engren-Cook and Cody Underhill both assisted on the play. The final score was 1-1.

Despite Hanna's late goal heroics, the Mustangs MVP in game one was fist-year midget netminder Brad Gustafson. The 15-year-old made an incredible 46 saves in his first midget hockey tournament and was crucial in helping his team get the tie.

"It got my confidence up," he said. "The first game was really a boost. I have to give my team a lot of credit, most of the shots I was getting they were keeping them to the outside. They played really well in front of me."

The Mustangs next game was against Chilliwack, which was an evenly matched affair for the majority of the game. However, halfway through the contest, Chilliwack was able to take advantage of some penalty trouble the Mustangs got into. The team scored three goals before the conclusion of the second period.

Trailing 4-0 in the third frame, the Mustangs answered back with a goal that was scored by Pait Johnson, with an assist going to Lindsay Meikle.

However, this would be as close as the club would get in the 4-1 loss. The Mustangs hit four post and were down two men for around six minutes in the loss to Chilliwack.

The Mustangs MVP in game two was Underhill for the outstanding job he did moving and supporting the puck.

The team's third contest was against Nanaimo and was the most lopsided defeat for the Mustangs at the tournament. The final score was 6-0 with the Mustangs hitting three posts in the loss. Hanna was named as the team's MVP.

The players on the Mustangs didn't have time to dwell on their loss to Nanaimo and just 45 minutes later found themselves back on the ice in a tilt against Saanich.

Any fatigue from the first game wasn't a factor for the Mustangs, which Stephens said was a result of the team rolling all four lines throughout the entire game. The team was also successful at staying out of the penalty box.

The 5-3 comeback was also sparked by a clean, open ice body check in the offensive zone, which was delivered by Mustangs forward Riley Tobin.

"That was huge turning point, and after that it gave us the motivation," said centre Jaxon Glass about Tobin's third period bodycheck. "To see something like that, it makes you want to get out there and push yourself that much harder."

Tobin, 16, said the team's performance in Abbotsford exceeded his expectations.

"I feel it was pretty good," Tobin said about the Abbotsford tournament. "I just think our key is trying to stay out of that penalty box. It's a great starting point."

Sixteen-year-old Pelly Crossing native Morris Morrison, a forward, said he was also pleased with the way the team did in Abbotsford.

"I think we did great," he said. "It's my first time going to a tournament like this, so I had lots of fun."

Stephens said the team worked hard the whole tournament and is looking forward to the rest of the season.

"The kids are going to have to keep working and I think if they do we will have success at our next tournament and hopefully by provincials we will be ready to go."