Three third period goals last Saturday night propelled the Virden Oil Capitals to an important road victory.
In Swan River on Nov. 6, the Oil Caps and Swan Valley Stampeders entered the last period tied at 1-1. Swan Valley scored on a powerplay in the first five minutes of the final frame to take a 2-1 advantage. The Virden offence then got rolling. It scored three straight goals – including two powerplay markers – to go up 4-2. The Stampeders scored another powerplay goal, but Virden prevailed, 4-3.
“I think our guys really did a good job of sticking to our structure and competed hard all night,” Virden head coach Tyson Ramsey said. “Our special teams came up big when we needed, and I thought we got real good goaltending.”
Hometown product Eric Reid earned the victory between the pipes with 26 saves. It was the first of his MJHL career.
Captain Logan Rands, Carson Buydens, Braden Fischer, and Tyler Thoendel all scored for Virden. Fischer had three points on the night. He enters the week third in the MJHL with 27 points, including 11 goals, in 16 games. Dylan Halliday had two assists for the Oil Caps. The Oil Caps threw 36 shots at Swan Valley’s Dylan Black and he stopped 32. Virden was three-for-nine on the powerplay.
Fischer was named the game’s first star. Noah Fladager and Jackson Betcher were the second and third stars, respectively. They each scored for Swan Valley as did Carter Cockburn. Virden’s Bray Rookes and Stampeder Callum Fortin dropped the gloves in the second period.
The win kept the Oil Caps in third place in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League West Division. Their 7-8-1-0 record and 15 points had them sitting, due to tiebreakers, just ahead in the standings of the Stampeders, who had a 7-8-0-1 record and 15 points.
Earlier last week, the Stampeders beat the Oil Capitals, 6-4, in Virden on Nov. 4. The game was knotted at 1-1 and 2-2 at the intermissions. Swan Valley outscored the hosts, 4-2, in the final period.
“I thought the first period was not great for both teams,” Ramsey said. “I thought we looked slow and were unable to execute anything. Then, in the second and third, we created some chances and just couldn't get anything to go and they were able to take advantage of some sloppy play in our end of the rink.”
Dylan Halliday lit the lamp twice for Virden. His teammates, Nathan McInnis and Buydens, also scored. Buydens had three points on the night and he and Branden Huminuk each recorded two assists. Reid made 31 saves. His Swan Valley counterpart, Kobe Grant, had 43.
Buydens was named the game’s second star. Swan Valley’s Quinn Mulder received the first and his teammate Ethan Matchim the third. Mulder and Justin Keck each scored twice for Swan Valley. Adam Ward and Jacob Paler-Chow had the Stampeders’ other goals.
Oil Caps forward and Elkhorn product Parker Johnson was named the Gardewine Hardest Working Player. Dominic Alberts was the Mazergrou Seventh Player.
Halliday’s strong play earned him recognition as one of the MJHL Stars of the Week. He had two goals and four points over two games.
Last week the Oil Capitals assigned 18-year-old forward Mitchell Collyer to the Campbell River (B.C.) Storm of the Vancouver Island Hockey League. The Onanole product had played in six games for Virden this season.
The Oil Capitals host the OCN Blizzard (6-9-0-1) for two games this weekend. The contests will be played Friday and Saturday.
