Article Courtesy of TheCarillon.com
Trailing 3-0 in the second period, the Steinbach Pistons responded with five straight goals to defeat the Virden Oil Capitals 5-3 Sunday night in Steinbach in the Pistons’ last game before the Christmas break.
The Pistons are now disbursing to their hometowns across the continent to spend Christmas with their families, content with the fact they will go into the New Year with a sizeable lead atop the Manitoba Junior Hockey League standings.
It was a determined and feisty Virden squad that jumped out into a 2-0 lead in the first period in last night’s game, then extended that lead to 3-0 by the seven minute mark of the third. But Mackenzie Graham finally got Steinbach on the board with four minutes left in the second, which queued the comeback in the third.
Goals by Will Koop and Wyatt Hinson a minute apart early in the third tied it, before Graham, with his second of the game and league-leading 22nd of the season, scored the winner seven minutes into the period. Vaughn Dupre made it 5-3 midway through the final frame.
Bradley Schoonbaert, named the 1st Star of the game, without question the best player on the ice in last night’s game, picked up four assists on the night in a dominant performance. (Pictured above)
Steinbach outshot Virden 44-24 as Roman Bengert was the winner in the Steinbach nets.
The Pistons, who now own a dominant 28-5-1 record, and are seven points ahead of the second place Winkler Flyers (25-10) in the standings. The Pistons also have a game in hand on the Flyers.
The Pistons, with an extended Christmas break this year, do not play again until Jan. 4, when they will travel to Portage to take on the Terriers. But the Pistons will be hosting their annual Skills Competition Jan. 2 in Steinbach at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.