Tonight’s Game Notes:
Welcome fans to tonight’s MJHL action featuring the visiting Neepawa Natives (10-21-1) and your home townVirden Oil Capitals (16-13-4).Tonight’s game along with the rest of the month of December is brought to you by the Arlington Hotel in Maryfield, SK. (Click to ‘Like’ their page on Facebook)
It’s the last night for the Valleyview COOP ‘Tin for the Bin’ food drive. If you haven’t done so already, please drop off your non-perishable food items in the shopping carts, near the entrance on the main concourse.
If you were at the game last night, then you were the first one’s to witness the Virden Oil Capitals 2014 Christmas Video. Since the video went live last night at approximately 9:30, it has currently been viewed more than 4,300 times. If you haven’t seen it yet, please visit www.oilcapshockey.com where you can find it on the home page. Thank you to everyone who has shared the video so far.
Maybe it was the feeling of giving after the video played, but the Oil Caps gave up a goal just 10 seconds into the game last night to the visiting Winnipeg Blues. It looked like it might be an off night for the team until Tanner Lewis scored for the Oil Caps to tie it up at 1-1. Ben Williams rattled off a pair of goals in the second with Soren Frederiksen and Lindsay MacLellan adding singles as the Oil Caps skated their way to a 5-2 win on home ice.
It was Williams 17th and 18th goals of the season last night who came into this season with 15 career goals. He now sits alone as the third top goal scorer in the league behind Winkler’s Tristan Keck (30) and Portage’s Jordyn Boyd (19).
Taking a look at the opposition for tonight, the Natives come into the game with a 2-3 record in their last five games. Drake Lindsay has been providing just about all of the offense for the Natives. He has almost twice as many points (38 – 14 G, 24 A) as the next person on the team (Steven Phillips: 20 – 12 G, 8 A). Neepawa sits in a tie with Waywayseecappo for the final playoff spot, but currently hold a game in hand on their division rivals.
The Oil Caps got some help from Selkirk last night as they pulled to within four points of the Steinbach Pistons for fourth spot in the standings. There’s only two other games on tap in the MJHL tonight as the Pistons host Dauphin and Swan Valley entertains Waywayseeappo.
Local product, Tyler Kirkup will suit up for his first career Junior ‘A’ game tonight along with Hartney’s, Jared Janke. Both are members of the Southwest Cougars and rank 2nd (Kirkup: 16 – 4 G, 12 A) and 3rd (Janke: 15 – 8 G, 7 A) on the team in scoring respectively. The Cougars currenlty rank 9th in the MB AAA League standings.
We are just three home games away from the Christmas break heading into tonight. Make sure to stop by the Oil Caps merchandise rack to finish up, or start, your holiday shopping for the season.
Thank you once again for supporting Oil Caps hockey and enjoy tonight’s game!