The Virden Oil Capitals opened their playoff run in impressive fashion Friday night, shutting out the Neepawa Titans 6-0 in front of an energized home crowd.
The Caps wasted little time getting on the board as Worthington opened the scoring at 10:31 of the first period, finishing off a play set up by Schaefer and Bryant. Just over three minutes later, Drake doubled the lead, with assists going to Draper and Laing, giving Virden a 2-0 edge after the opening 20 minutes.
The second period belonged entirely to the Oil Caps, they struck three times in the middle frame, beginning with Drake’s second goal of the night, assisted by Plaisier and Black-Greaves. Just over two minutes later, Light found the back of the net from Bryant and Worthington, before Drake completed the hat trick, finishing off a setup from Laing and Draper to make it 5-0 heading into the third.
The Caps added one more in the final period when Goertzen scored on the power play, with helpers from Plaisier and Osiowy, capping off a complete performance for the home side.
The offensive spotlight belonged to Drake, who recorded a hat trick and was a constant threat throughout the night.
At the other end of the ice, Burdeny was rock solid, stopping all 23 shots he faced to earn the shutout. The Oil Capitals outshot Neepawa 43-23, including a dominant 15-6 edge in the first and 14-7 in the third.
With the win, Virden grabs an early edge in the series and sends a strong message heading into the next matchup.
Final Score:
Virden Oil Capitals 6
Neepawa Titans 0
