Oil Caps split weekend with Stamps

In front of an enthusiastic home Halloween weekend crowd last Saturday, the Virden Oil Capitals earned an important victory over the Swan Valley Stampeders.
Coming off a tough 4-3 loss Friday, in which the Virden squad displayed resiliency, the Oil Caps beat the Stamps, 5-2. With the victory, Virden (6-7-1-0) entered the week in third place in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s West Division – tied with the Stampeders (6-7-0-1) in points at 13. What was head coach Tyson Ramsey most pleased with about the win?
“I think our willingness to stick to our game plan and the fact that we didn't just work hard but we competed with a purpose,” he said.
The Oil Caps and Stampeders are back at it this week. Virden hosts the Stamps Thursday before heading to Swan River Saturday.
Oil Caps 5, Stampeders 2
At home on Oct. 30 in front of a 738, including many in costume, the Oil Caps got out to a 2-0 first period lead thanks to goals by Carson Buydens and Colten Miller, his first of the season in just his second game. The Stampeders made it a one goal game in the second, but the Oil Capitals outscored the visitors, 3-1, in the third.
“We had a little bit of everything,” Ramsey said of that period. “Our special teams were good, we got great goaltending and we defended when we needed to.”
Before the Stamps capped the game with a powerplay goal in the game’s final 15 seconds, Tyler Thoendel, Braden Fischer and Jackson Orr scored. Orr’s goal, an empty net marker, was the first of the valued, third-year defenceman’s MJHL career.
“That was a pretty special moment,” Ramsey said. “Jackson prides himself on defending and he does a great job of that, but it’s always nice when those guys get rewarded with a goal.”
In net, Ethan Kadatz earned the win for Virden with 39 saves on 41 shots. Swan Valley’s Dylan Black stopped 31 shots.
Oil Caps forward Evan Groening did not play as he suited up that night for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League as an affiliated player. He was plus one in Brandon’s 3-1 loss to Prince Albert.
Kadatz was the first star. Thoendel was the second star and Fischer the third.  Miller was the Gardewine Hardest Working Player.  Brock Auger served as the Mazergroup 7th Player. 
Stampeders 4, Oil Caps 3
In Swan River on Oct. 29, the Oil Caps trailed 1-0 after the first period. Early in the second, Groening tied the game. Swan Valley took the lead back before captain Logan Rands knotted it at 2-2 on a powerplay.
In the third, Joey Bielik’s goal put Virden on top, 3-2. However, the Stamps scored twice to earn the win. Virden goalie Eric Reid stopped 37 of the 41 shots he faced. Black made 27 saves.
Notes
 The Oil Caps are helping the Virden Jr. Oil Capitals U11s raise some funds for CancerCare Manitoba, Ride Inside - Wheel with the Wheelers. Thursday night the U11s will ride stationary bikes during the Oil Caps game. On Friday, the MJHL squad will ride at the Valleyview Consumers Co-op. Sunday the teams will hold a skills competition. … As of Monday, Fischer is third in the MJHL in scoring with 24 points in 24 games. He was third in goals with 10. … Cook, Nathan McInnis and Orr won the team’s pumpkin carving contest. They did a Spider-man design.