The Steinbach Pistons beat the Virden Oil Capitals by a score of 5-4 in OT Saturday evening to take a 1-0 series lead in the MJHL semi-finals.
Virden would open the game taking two quick penalties back-to-back, but the Pistons would not be able to capitalize as the Oil Capitals would kill off both of them.
Both teams got some good looks but could not find the back of the net as the game went into the first intermission tied 0-0.
Virden opened the scoring just under two minutes into the second period as Dylan Halliday put Virden up 1-0.
Steinbach would answer back under a minute later as Dawson Milliken and Ty Paisley made a nice passing play with Milliken getting the puck past Bailey Monteith.
Braden Fischer would restore Virden’s 1-goal lead as he ripped the puck past Will Hambley on a two on one making it 2-1.
Steinbach would not let them have the lead for long as Quinton Pepper took a shot that trickled to Ty Paisley on the doorstep who potted the puck, scoring on the powerplay making it 2-2.
Steinbach would take their first lead of the game 4-minutes later as Quinton Pepper made a nice backhanded feed between the legs of a Virden defender to Zach Power who one timed the puck into the net making it 3-2.
The goal filled period would come to an end with the Pistons up 3-2 and outshooting the Oil Capitals 33-20.
Virden would come storming back in the third period scoring two quick goals, under a minute apart. Both goals came from Braden Fischer, the first on the powerplay off a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot and the second off a bad defensive zone turnover by the Pistons and Fischer grabbing the loose puck and putting it right under the arm of Will Hambley making it 4-3.
Langley Kruggel tied the game up with just over 4-minutes remaining in the third period as a puck battle behind the net resulted in a loose puck coming out to the slot and Kruggel wristed it post and in.
Virden and Steinbach would battle hard for the final 4-minutes, but the goalies stood tall, and the game headed to overtime.
Steinbach made sure overtime did not last long as Virden tried to clear the puck but Braden Birnie kept it in at the blueline. Birnie got the puck to Quinton Pepper who then flipped the puck to Zach Power at the right faceoff dot with him ripping it home and securing the 5-4 overtime victory.
Steinbach gets back at it tomorrow night versus Virden with game 2 set to start at 7:30pm.