Content Provided By: Steinbach Online
Steinbach used 5 different goal scorers as they managed to upend the Neepawa Titans 5-3 on Sunday night, extending their win streak to 3 straight games.
It was Steinbach’s third game since the Christmas break as well as their second game of the weekend while the Titans were in action for the first time since the break.
Coming off a 12 save win on Saturday, Christian Green was back in the crease and the 20-year-old was tested a couple of times but turned away any shot that came his way.
It was scoreless through the first half of the opening period until Steinbach was sent to the penalty box but it wasn’t the power play that did the damage, it was the shorthanded unit.
After pressuring the Titans throughout the man advantage, the Pistons managed to capitalize after a turnover at center. Jackson Kostiuk intercepted a pass and broke in, snapping a shot off the inside of the post and in for his 11th of the season and second game in a row with a goal.
The unassisted marker put the Pistons up 1-0.
A couple of minutes later, the lead would grow as Steinbach worked the puck around in the offensive zone, Reece Gault walked the offensive blueline and fired a shot toward the goal. The puck managed to hit off Brett Kaiser who was battling in front and it managed to find the back of the net making it 2-0.
For Kaiser, it was his 3rd goal in his last two games. Gault and Connor Paronuzzi, who extended his point streak to 10 games, were given the assists.
In the second, Neepawa cut into the lead less than 3 minutes into the period, but it was still 2-1 Steinbach.
As the period went along, the Pistons had a couple of glorious chances but were turned away by the strong goaltending of the Titans.
Eventually, they would break through again.
Off an offensive zone faceoff, Jamie Fuchs won the puck back to Sam Noad who fired one toward the net. While the Noad chance was stopped, Fuchs was right there to cash in on the rebound to restore the two-goal lead, 3-1.
The 20-year-old BC product is now up to 17 goals on the year, working his way to matching his 21 goals from last season. With the assist, Noad set a new career high for himself in points and he wasn’t done.
Less than four minutes after making it 3-1, Steinbach’s captain Noah Szabo would bring it to 4-1 as the 20-year-old hammered a one-timer from the point for his 7th of the season. Gault and Noad each picked up their second points of the night getting the assists.
Neepawa refused to go away and once again pulled themselves back into the game, scoring with under two minutes to go in the second to bring the game to 4-2.
In the third, Mathis Laplante snapped home his 14th of the year as the 18-year-old wheeled around the offensive zone and put a wobbling puck on goal that found it’s way through everyone to put the Pistons up 5-2. Once again Noad factored in as he notched his third assist while Fuchs also grabbed a helper, capping off a tidy two-point night.
In the second half of the third, the Titans managed to score, giving themselves a little more hope at 5-3 but that’s as close as they would get.
Christian Green hit the 20 win plateau making 32 saves on the night.
Steinbach’s power play finished 0-2 while the penalty kill was a perfect 3-3.
Monday will be an off day for the group as they get ready to take on the Niverville Nighthawks at the CRRC on Tuesday night.