Richmond, B.C. native David Queree had the game winning goal at the 10:40 mark of the second period as the Steinbach Pistons survived a comeback attempt to win it 4-3 over the Swan Valley Stampeders on Sunday.
Playing each other for the second time in less than 24 hours, the Pistons earned themselves their third win of the season over the second place Stampeders to sit five points back of Swan in the MJHL standings.
Matt Lenz was excellent in goal for the Pistons, making 29 saves in the win. Merek Pipes took the loss for Swan, stopping only 8 of the 12 shots he faced before giving way to Michael Davis.
Like yesterday, the Pistons once again got off to a good start and this time got on the board. In a net-mouth scramble, the puck came loose to Brady Tatro who put it home to make it 1-0 Pistons with over four minutes gone in the first period. Tyson McConnell and Brendan Westbrook picked up the assists on the Tatro tally.
Although they were outshot 13-5 in the first period, Steinbach shifted into high gear in the middle period. After a Swan penalty expired, Brendan Martin threw a pass to Tanner Mole in front of Pipes and Mole guided it in for a 2-0 Pistons lead. Easton Bennett picked up the extra apple on Mole’s 13thgoal of the campaign at 3:31.
Tatro picked up his second of the night, as he intercepted a Swan breakout pass and snapped a heavy wrist shot over the blocker of Pipes for a 3-0 lead with six minutes gone in the second period. The two goals for Tatro give the Bemidji native seventeen on the season.
Queree made it 4-0 Pistons, as his wrist shot beat Pipes for his 2ndof the season and chased the Swan starter from the goal. Martin picked up his second assist of the game on the eventual game-winner by Queree.
Swan started a comeback with three minutes to play in the second, as Jaden Townsend beat Lenz and it was 4-1 after forty minutes to play.
The Stamps would get an early power play chance in the third period and they would score as MJHL leading scorer Josh Tripp slid a shot underneath the left pad of Lenz for his 24thof the season at the 1:28 mark.
The Pistons would hold Swan at bay for the next fifteen minutes of the third period. But Steinbach would take a late penalty with five minutes to play, and Tripp would strike again. The speedster rushed down the left wing and beat Lenz again, and the Pistons lead was cut to 4-3.
However, the Pistons did not allow another quality chance for the Stampeders and they skated away with the two points and a 4-3 victory.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Pistons went 0 for 3 on the power play, while Swan went 2 for 4 with the man advantage.
RADOMSKY, TEAM CANADA WEST TAKE BRONZE
Matt Radomsky put on the performance of the tournament, and one of the best games of his junior career at the bronze medal game at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge. The Pistons netminder had an astounding 46 saves as Team Canada West secured the bronze medal with a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic. The entire Pistons organization would like to congratulate Matt Radomsky on his amazing showing at the World Junior A Challenge!
UP NEXT: There is no rest for the weary, as Steinbach will be back on the ice Tuesday night in Winnipeg to take on the Blues at the BellMTS Iceplex at 7:00 pm. This will finish off a three games in four day stretch for Steinbach, before they end 2018 with another game at Winnipeg on Friday before returning to the TG Smith Centre on Saturday night for a matchup with the Selkirk Steelers.