The Steinbach Pistons extended their season Friday night, defeating the Virden Oil Capitals 4-2 at the Southeast Event Centre in Game 5 of the second-round playoff series.
With the win, Steinbach cuts into the series, while the Oil Caps still hold a 3-2 series lead heading back home.
Virden opened the scoring midway through the first period, as Worthington found the back of the net on the power play at 9:02, finishing a play from Hoilett and Bryant. The Oil Caps carried that 1-0 lead into the intermission after a solid opening frame.
Virden extended the lead in the second period when Ulmer scored, with assists from Hoilett and Siemens, giving the Caps a 2-0 advantage. However, Steinbach responded late in the period as Noad scored at 17:17, cutting the lead in half and shifting momentum heading into the third.
The third period belonged to the Pistons. Steinbach tied the game at 13:04 when Bogart capitalized on a setup from Paronuzzi and McDonald. Just over a minute later, Kaiser gave the Pistons their first lead of the night, with assists from Kostiuk and Velner. With Virden pushing for the equalizer late, Steinbach sealed the game with an empty-net goal from Kaiser at 19:34, securing the 4-2 victory.
Goaltender Burdeny faced heavy pressure throughout the night, making 38 saves on 41 shots to keep the Oil Caps within striking distance. At the other end, Steinbach’s Thvedt turned aside 30 of 32 shots to earn the win.
Steinbach held the edge in shots 42-32, while both teams saw limited power play opportunities.
Despite the loss, the Oil Caps remain in control of the series and will return home with another opportunity to close it out.
With a 3-2 series lead, Virden will look to regroup and respond on home ice in Game 6.
Final Score
Steinbach Pistons 4
Virden Oil Capitals 2
Series
Virden leads Round 2 series 3-2
