Sunday night at the Southeast Event Centre featured a goalie battle for the ages as Steinbach’s 18-year-old Easton Thvedt outdueled his counterpart, making 33 saves for a 2-0 shutout win over the Neepawa Titans.
First period
Neepawa pushed the pace early, but the Pistons didn’t back down.
Both teams had their chances. Both teams clogged up the neutral zone. Both teams struggled at times to complete passes, but neither team was giving much in the way of time and space.
Shots favoured Steinbach 14-9, but the score held 0-0 through the first.
Second period
Similar to the first, both teams moved up and down the ice, trading chances but never being able to celebrate a goal.
Both goalies were spectacular, going save for save.
Power plays for both sides worked hard, but couldn’t break the scoreless draw.
Thvedt made a sensational blocker save after a Titan player was left alone in front, and the 18-year-old held the fort the rest of the period.
Shots finished 12-12 in the period.
Third period
Right from the drop of the puck, the Pistons jumped on the Titans.
An opening minute breakaway for Steinbach may have been stopped, but it sent a jolt through an already buzzing building.
That buzz would turn into a roar thanks to Logan Mehl.
Just over four minutes in, Sam Noad worked the puck free from behind the goal, and the captain sent it up to the blueline to the waiting Liam Doyle. Doyle measured and fired the puck toward the goal as Mehl drifted into the slot, tipping the shot perfectly to give Steinbach a 1-0 lead.
For the rookie Mehl, it was his fourth goal of the year.
More shots, more opportunities, but despite it all, the lone goal from earlier in the frame was the only one on the board.
It looked as though Steinbach had found another goal when the line of Noad, Jack Greenwell, and Brett Kaiser worked hard in the offensive zone, got the Titans running around, and after putting the puck in front of the net, eventually knocking it into the goal.
The goal was waved off by the official behind the net because it appeared as though a Piston went into the Neepawa goalie, causing him to lose his position. However, upon a second look, it was clear that Noad was knocked into the goalie by a Titans defender.
Even though there was video evidence to dispute the no-goal call, MJHL officials are not permitted to refer to the replay boards in arenas, so the call on the ice stood, and the game would remain 1-0 for the time being.
A great follow-up shift by the same line kept the pressure on, building momentum for the home side.
With time running out, the Titans were given a double-minor for high-sticking, and the Steinbach power play worked the clock as much as they worked in the offensive zone.
Needing to tie the game and with an offensive zone face-off, the Titans pulled the goalie.
Marek Miller would take a pass, work up the ice and fire his 6th goal of the year into an open net, sealing a 2-0 victory for the Pistons. Rory Gilmour and Zhenya Miles were given the assists on the power play goal.
Time ran out, and in a show of respect, many Steinbach Pistons players gave a pat to the Titans goaltender, who happened to be a former Piston from last season.
Game notes
Easton Thvedt’s 33-save shutout was his first in the MJHL, and now he has an 8-1 record, leading rookie netminders.
Zhenya Miles continues to lead MJHL defenders with 22 points on the year.
Liam Doyle is second in the league for blueliners with 20 points.
Miller scored for a second straight game and has four points in his last five contests.
Up next
Steinbach will continue on a homestand with the Winnipeg Monarchs coming to the Southeast Event Centre on Wednesday night.
