A slow start and too many penalties proved costly for the Steinbach Pistons tonight. Despite a comeback effort, the Virden Oil Capitals got the best of Steinbach and Chris Quizi to take Game 1 of the second round of the Turnbull Cup Playoffs 6-4 at Southeast Event Centre, taking a 1-0 series lead.
Virden dominated play in the opening 20 minutes, which led to three goals in just over two minutes from the Oil Capitals near the midway point of the period.
Bryce Bryant beat Pistons netminder Quizi twice five-hole just 1:34 apart to give the visiting team a two-goal lead, his fourth and fifth of the playoffs. Brooks Siemens followed with his first of the postseason just 32 seconds later to quiet the SEC crowd.
Steinbach got past Braxton Burdeny at 14:28 of the first to cut the deficit to two. Connor Paronuzzi got the puck to Grady Hoffman near the slot on the rush and he sniped his second of the postseason past the Virden goaltender, post and in, to give the hometown crowd something to cheer about.
Captain Sam Noad made it a one-goal game 7:24 into the second on the man advantage, beating a sprawling Braxton through the wickets in tight for his third of the postseason.
The MJHL’s leading post-season goalscorer Jackson Kostiuk made it a brand new game with a short-handed marker at 10:51. His seventh came when his wrist shot inside the right circle beat Braxton to even the score at 3-3.
It didn’t take long for the Oil Capitals to get back out in front as Dysen Drake got another puck underneath and past Quizi to restore Virden’s one-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes.
Nathan Schaefer’s first of the playoffs would prove to be the eventual game-winning goal at 7:44 of the third.
Virden would net its sixth goal, and second on the power play of the night, at 14:26 with London Hoilett’s third, making it a 6-3 game with some extra insurance.
However, Liam Doyle would get one back late for Steinbach with just over a minute to go.
A combined 10-goal Game One ended with Virden taking the 1-0 series lead as the Pistons fell 6-4. Quizi turned aside 32 shots that came his way.
These two teams get right back at it tomorrow night for Game 2 at the SEC.
“It’s important that we turn the page here,” said Pistons head coach Paul Dyck, speaking with Dave Anthony following the Game One loss. “When we win games we try and leave it here at midnight, the same with a loss, and regardless of what it looks like… either way you leave it here and you move on.”
Puck drop for Game Two tomorrow is set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
Article Written by Evan Walder – Photo provided by Ice Wave Media
