It was a great night for Pistons call-up Carter Loney, as he had a goal and an assist as the Pistons beat the Waywayseecappo Wolverines 5-2 Friday night at the TG Smith Centre.
Loney was the only Pistons to have a multi-point game on the night. Matt Radomsky turned in another solid back stopping performance for Steinbach, as he recorded 34 saves for his MJHL leading 14th win of the season.
It was a fairly even start, as both teams got 11 shots on goal in the first period. It was Steinbach that got the only goal in the first frame. After the Pistons won an offensive zone faceoff, Max Neill went to the front of the net and tipped in a Tristan Culleton point shot past Wayway starter Isaac Labelle at the 9:04 mark to put the Pistons up 1-0. Neill notched his 5thof the season from Culleton and Caydin Cleland.
The Pistons would break the game open in the second period with a couple highlight reel goals. First, Evan Kaufman found Brendan Westbrook open, and Westbrook spun around and threw a cross-ice backhand pass over to Easton Bennett who wired in his 5thof the season 3:05 into the second period for a 2-0 Steinbach advantage.
Then it was Brendan Martin putting another beauty onto his highlight package, as he walked out of the corner on the power play and dangled through two Wolverines and shelfed a backhander over Labelle. It was 3-0 Steinbach on Martin’s 16thof the season from Troy Williams and Boedey Vaeth with 5:10 left in the second.
31 seconds later, Loney expertly moved his way in front of the Wolverine goal and tried to jam it past the goalie. The puck squirted to Tyson McConnell, and the captain roofed his 14thof the season for a 4-0 Pistons lead. Tanner Mole, who was making his return to the lineup after missing the last three weeks with an injury, notched the secondary assist on the goal.
Loney, who played well all night, was rewarded in the third as a Declan Graham pass went off of his skate and through the wickets of Labelle for his first MJHL goal. Loney’s goal was on the power play, and the two-point night gives him 4 points in 4 games this season with Steinbach.
The Wolverines would get two goals in 20 seconds in the third period to make it interesting. First, Bryce Krauter tipped in his 2ndof the season at 7:36, and then Jake Bestul potted his third goal on the year and it was 5-2. The Pistons defence locked down the Wolverines thereafter, and skated away with the 5-2 win.
INJURY UPDATE
Pistons leading scorer Brady Tatro left the game early in the first period and did not return to action.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Pistons went 2 for 6 on the power play, and continued their impressive penalty kill as of late by negating all six Wayway man advantages.
UP NEXT: The Neepawa Natives come to the TG Smith Centre for the first meeting of the season between the Natives and Pistons. Catch the game live on HockeyTV.