It was the first game between Steinbach and Virden since they locked up for the Turnbull Cup this past spring, and the Pistons got the better of the Oil Capitals by winning 3-1 Sunday night.
Like most of the games between these two teams over the past two seasons, this one will be noted in the record books once again as a defensive battle. Pistons starter Matt Radomsky was a brick wall tonight stopping 21 of 22 Oil Caps shots. Virden goalie Dalton Dosch was excellent in the Caps crease and made 41 saves, but took the loss.
There was no scoring in the first period, as both teams felt each other out through the first 20 minutes. Virden had the best opportunities, as they hit a post and a crossbar in the frame. But that’s why they call the posts a goalie’s best friends, and Radomsky was sure glad to have them in the first.
Coming off being named the Pistons Player of the Month for September/October, Brady Tatro got the Pistons on the board with a power play marker, as he picked up a rebound off of a Tristan Culleton shot and beat Dosch at the 7:15 mark of the second. Culleton and Declan Graham had the assists on Tatro’s 13thgoal of the season.
Aiden Wagner gave the Pistons a two goal advantage early in the third. After a close chance for Troy Beauchemin in which he slided the puck through the blue paint, Wagner put a backhand on the puck and got it through to the back of the net. Beauchemin and Marcel Berube had the helpers on the Langley, B.C. native’s 3rdof the season.
Jack Kilroy gave the Pistons a much needed insurance marker, as his wrist shot from the blue line beat Dosch clean to the blocker side and put Steinbach up 3-0 halfway through the third period. Boedey Vaeth assisted on Kilroy’s 2nd in as many games, and that assist meant that Vaeth has points in 10 of his past 12 games.
Virden got on the board with a fluky play on the man advantage and broke Radomsky’s shutout bid with 6:23 to go. Forward Josh Belcher received a pass in the slot and fanned on the shot, and the puck caromed to a wide open Logan Rands who slid it in for his first of the season.
The Oil Caps came with the pressure and pulled Dosch with 1:30 to go for one last push, but the Pistons continued their aggressive defensive zone play and skated away with a 3-1 win.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Pistons were 1 for 6 on the power play, and the Oil Caps were 1 for 8 with the man advantage.
UP NEXT
The Pistons are back on home ice on Wednesday night for yet another clash with the Portage Terriers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm, you can catch the game live on HockeyTV.