The Virden Oil Capitals opened their eighth season in impressive fashion.
On the road, the team started its Manitoba Junior Hockey League campaign with a 5-2 win over the Selkirk Steelers on Friday. The next night, at the Valleyview Co-op Home Opener, the Oil Capitals downed the Steelers, 4-1.
The team’s back-to-back strong outings earned it the No. 15 spot in the Canadian Junior Hockey League Top 20 Rankings.
“I thought offensively we did a number of real good things on both nights,” head coach Tyson Ramsey said. “I thought our goaltending was good and I thought on Saturday night at home our group of six D were very good and our team defence took a step forward.”
A reported 1,063 fans turned out at Tundra Oil & Gas Place to cheer on the Oil Caps at the home opener.
“The atmosphere was electric in the building and in our locker room,” said Oil Caps forward Tanner Andrew, a Virden product.
“It was a great game and we fed off the crowd as the game went on. It was really special to me as I’m a hometown kid to see all the support. It helped us to calm our nerves and not only play for each other but also for our amazing fans.”
In both contests the Oil Capitals started strong. The squad led 3-0 after the first period on Friday and were on top 2-0 at the first intermission on Saturday.
Ramsey, who picked up his first two wins as an MJHL head coach, said “There was a definite improvement from game one to game two, which as a coach is very encouraging. The guys are buying in to the system we are trying to play and working hard at practices to get better.
“Certainly, there are areas we need to be better in but that will always be the case. We just need to focus on being a better group everyday.”
Oil Caps 5, Steelers 2
On the road on Sept. 20, the Steelers outshot Virden 17-15 in the first period. However, the Oil Capitals were much more accurate as Dylan Halliday, Jack Einarson, and Andrew, in order, all scored. The first and third goals came on the power play.
The teams traded goals the rest of the way with Halliday netting his second of the night and rookie Hunter Andrew, Tanner’s younger brother, also scoring.
Virden goalie Dalton Dosch earned the win with 39 saves. Oil Cap Kolten Kanaski and Selkirk’s Trent Halfdanson dropped the gloves in the third period.
Oil Caps 4, Steelers 1
Dosch turned away all but one of the 36 shots he faced in the home opener. The Oil Caps got off to a good start with first period goals by Brett Paddock on a power play, and Tanner Andrew. Selkirk made it 2-1 in the second, but Tristan Thompson’s goal put the Virden lead back up to two goals, 3-1. Einarson capped the game with a goal.
Leaders Named
Last week the Oil Caps named their assistant captains: defenceman Jayden Wojciechowski and forwards Josh Belcher, Einarson and Paddock. They will serve with previously named captain Kolten Kanaski.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to help me out along the way this year, and we are more than excited to get this season finally started,” Kanaski said before the opener.
This Week
The Oil Capitals were slated to play Swan Valley on the road on Tuesday. The squad is in Neepawa on Friday before hosting the Steinbach Pistons on Saturday. On Monday and Tuesday of next week, all of the MJHL teams are in Winnipeg for the league’s annual showcase, which allows scouts to see all of the squads in one place. The Oil Caps play OCN on Monday and Portage on Tuesday.
Notes
Entering Tuesday’s game, the Andrew brothers and Wojciechowski led the team in points with three each. … Besides the Andrews, the team also includes local products Riley Wallace, a second-year goalie from Oak Lake, and Bray Rookes, a rookie defenceman from Manson. … The Oil Caps reassigned talented 16-year-old forward Roux Bazin to the U18 AAA Pembina Valley Hawks. He is expected to be called up as an affiliate player during the season.
