Courtesy of TheCarillon.com
The Steinbach Pistons defeated the Winnipeg Blues 5-4 in a shootout in a fast-paced entertaining MJHL game Wednesday night in Steinbach.
Seven rounds were needed in the shootout before this issue was finally settled. Pistons’ coach Paul Dyck sent all his big guns out in the first six rounds of the shootout: Penner, Taillefer, Schoonbaert, Bochinski, Bosc and Goderis, and all were thwarted by the Blues’ Scott Parsons. But it took the rookie Tyson McConnell to get the job done in the seventh round as he finally beat Parsons. McConnell scored his first goal of the season last weekend at OCN.
Meanwhile. at the other end Roman Bengert stopped all seven Blues shooters he faced to get the important extra point for the Pistons.
Tied 1-1 after the first as Hayden Goderis scored on the powerplay for the Pistons, Bradley Schoonbaert staked the home team to a 2-1 advantage five minues into the second. But the Blues stormed back with three straight goals in a span of five minutes to go up 4-2 before Luke Amsbaugh scored for the Pistons to make 4-3 at the second intermission.
Cole Smith tied it for the Pistons on the powerplay 1:27 into the third as this game would eventually go into overtime. Shots were 39 aside.
Two other games in the MJHL on Wednesday saw Swan Valley blank Neepawa 5-0 and the Winkler Flyers scored five second period goals as they went on to upset the leading Portage Terriers 5-3.
With the win, the Pistons improved to 15-5-2, still third in the standings, five points behind Winkler, although the Pistons have a game in hand on the Flyers. Winkler closed to within three points of the first place Terriers.
The Pistons next see action Saturday night in Steinbach as they host the Virden Oil Capitals at 7:30 p.m.