In Manitoba Junior Hockey League action, the team shut out the Dauphin Kings on March 5, as previously reported in the Empire-Advance, before beating the Winnipeg Freeze, 5-2, on Friday and falling 4-2 to the Portage Terriers on Sunday. The Oil Caps had a 38-11-3-3 record, as of Monday. They have long wrapped up a playoff spot and entered the week leading the MJHL MGEU West Division standings by four points over the OCN Blizzard.
“Our focus this week is to get the consistency back into our game and lock up first place in our division,” Virden head coach Tyson Ramsey said. “We have three tough games, and we need a consistent effort from all 23 guys. It is an important week for us.”
The team was slated to play Wednesday in Winkler after the Empire-Advance deadline. On Friday, the Niverville Nighthawks visit for the final regular season home game before the Oil Capitals head to Waywayseecappo on Sunday.
Oil Caps 5, Freeze 2
The Oil Caps outshot the Freeze, 49-21, on their way to a home victory last Friday. Rookie forward Noel Englot lit the lamp twice and recorded four points. From Feb. 21 to March 8, the Regina product had four goals over the course of a quartet of contests.
Of the Oil Capitals’ offensive output in the Freeze game, Englot said, “We played with confidence all over the ice - making plays, working together. Our goalie bailed us out a couple times, which gave us the chance to just play our game.”
Oil Caps defenceman Tyler Dodgson scored the game’s first two goals to give Virden a 2-0 lead at the first intermission. Englot’s first of the evening put the Oil Caps up 3-0. The Freeze answered with two second period goals, which were scored by Xyon Kiemeney and Elliot Perreault. But Englot struck again to double up the Winnipeg visitors, 4-2. Nolan Chastko capped the game’s scoring with a third period marker.
Virden goalie Liam Bechthold stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced. Freeze netminder Nicolas Rempel made 44 saves.
Terriers 4, Oil Caps 2
In Virden on March 10, the Terriers jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead and extended it to 3-0 early in the second. Two of those markers came on the powerplay.
Virden got goals from Ethan Guthrie and Evan Groening, with the man advantage, to pull to within one, 3-2, by the second intermission. However, Portage added another goal. The Terriers’ scorers were Alyandro De Leon (two), Gabriel Laflamme, and Adler Johnston.
Eric Reid made 17 saves for the Oil Caps. Portage’s Jayden Catellier had 38 saves.
