In their last four games, the Virden Oil Capitals had to battle bad weather, the road, and their opponents.
The team went 1-3 in an eight-game span. As of Monday, they sat fourth in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League standings with a 6-5-1-1 record.
This week the Oil Capitals kick off a three-game home stand. They host the Winnipeg Blues (3-8-1-0, as of Monday) on Saturday and the Winkler Flyers (4-4-0-0) on Sunday. The home stand concludes on Oct. 26 when the Swan Valley Stampeders (7-1-0-0) visit.
Steelers 5, Oil Caps 2
The Steelers jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on Oct. 8 in Selkirk. Virden fought back but trailed 3-2 going into the final period. The Steelers scored twice in the third to win 5-2. Brett Paddock, on the powerplay, and Hunter Andrew scored for Virden. Riley Wallace of Oak Lake made 21 saves on 26 shots.
Wolverines 5, Oil Caps 2
After a scoreless first period, Waywayseecappo took a 3-1 lead in the second on Oct. 10. Including an empty-net marker, they outscored Virden 2-1 in the final frame.
Both of the Virden goals came on the powerplay. Hunter Cloutier and captain Kolten Kanaski scored. Virden goalie Dalton Dosch made 27 saves on 31 shots. The team drew 784 fans to their lone home game of the week.
Oil Caps 6, Blizzard 3
The Oil Caps exploded for six goals on Sunday to break a three-game losing streak. They led 2-1 and 4-2 at the intermissions in OCN. Josh Belcher led the offensive effort with two goals. Also scoring for Virden were Tristan Thompson, Cloutier, Owen Blocker, and hometown product Tanner Andrew. Blocker recorded three points on the night. Dosch turned away 45 of the 48 shots that came his way.
Blizzard 4, Oils Caps 2
Bad weather forced the cancellation of the Saturday matchup between the teams, so they played Monday in OCN. The host Blizzard held leads of 2-1 and 3-1 at the intermissions.
Tanner Andrew and Dylan Halliday scored for the Oil Caps. Wallace had 32 saves.
