Content Provided By: Steinbach Online
It was a battle of amazing goaltenders on Wednesday night at the HyLife Center in La Broqueire as Steinbach’s Cole Plowman made 22 stops while Niverville’s Raiden Legall stopped 47 helping the Nighthawks claim a 2-1 overtime win.
The first period wasn’t the cleanest hockey either team has played all year. May passes were cut off or simply missed. Steinbach piled up the shots in the opening 20 minutes while Niverville, despite a couple of power play opportunities, couldn’t muster much in the way of chances.
With just a few minutes to go in the period, Hunter Degelman delivered a check to Ty Kennett in the Nighthawks zone. Degelman was given a 5-minute major and a game misconduct. Kennett left the ice under his own power but did not return, putting the already short Nighthawks down to 10 forwards for the rest of the game.
Shots were 17-2 for Steinbach after 20 minutes but the score was 0-0.
Niverville couldn’t capitalize on any power play in the first but the special teams unit did crack the Pistons PK less than four minutes into the second.
Adam Vigfusson and Michael Debrito who kept the play going below the goalline, worked hard to find some space and eventually found Carter Spirig near the boards. Spirig put a shot toward the goal that looked like it hit someone in front and in for his 6th of the season.
The 1-0 Niverville lead held through to the second half of the period. Things evened out on the shot clock throughout the second period as well.
Time after time, chance after chance, Steinbach was turned away by stellar goaltending. Legall made saves in tight, off deflections, from distance, and controlled rebounds. The only area where he struggled was handling the puck.
While shorthanded, Steinbach dumped the puck the length of the ice and it skipped behind the Nighthawks’ goalline. Legall, who was strong playing the puck all night and even started a few rushes with quick passes, came out to play the loose puck. He mishandled it and Steinbach’s Leo Chambers took advantage, stuffing the puck into the open net for his 9th of the year, knotting the game up a 1-1.
The rare miscue from Legall gave Steinbach life but it would end up being the only crack in an otherwise solid brick wall.
It looked as though Niverville regained their lead before the period was through as a bouncing puck appeared to get behind Plowman but the 20-year-old was able to reach back and snag it out of the air. Brett Tataryn of the Nighthawks was sure the puck had gone in and voiced his displeasure to the four officials, none of whom signaled it was a goal.
Frustration for the Nighthawks as they were not awarded the goal and instead went into the intermission tied 1-1.
Both Legall and Plowman were put to the test several times in the third and both made sensational saves, keeping their team in it.
The Pistons were given a power play chance late in the frame but couldn’t score and to make matters worse, took a too many men on the ice penalty, negating their own man advantage and giving Niverville the extra attacker heading into overtime.
Collin Whaley, who had a great game to that point, capped it off with the overtime winner as his power play point shot made it through to give Niverville a 2-1 win. For Whaley it was his 2nd of the season.
Steinbach’s power play was 0-5 while Niverville went 2 for 4.