The Swan Valley Stampeders picked up a huge two points on home ice Friday Oct. 29, defeating the Virden Oil Capitals 4-3 in front of a Halloween spirited crowd.
The Stampeder offence was led by Noah Fladager (2G), Jacob Paler-Chow (1G, 1A) and Captain Carter Cockburn (1G) while Dylan Black stopped 38/41 shot he faced in the win.
Swan Valley started tonight’s game as if they were shot out of a cannon, pushing the action and taking the play to the Oil Capitals. The speed of the Stampeder’s offence was on full display in the opening twenty minutes which lead to Noah Fladager’s first goal of the night. The 20-year-old took an errand pass, turned on the jets, and wired one upstairs over the glove of Eric Reid 52 seconds into the game.
Evan Groening pulled the Oil Capitals even 2:20 into the middle frame beating Dylan Black for his fourth of the year. Jacob Paler-Chow regained the Stampeders lead just over four minutes later with a rocket for his first goal of the year. Virden responded two and a half minutes later as Logan Rands tied the game, sending both teams to the locker room tied 2-2.
Joey Bielik gave the Oil Capitals their first lead of the game, picking up his second of the year 4:58 into the final frame. From there, it was all Stampeders as Carter Cockburn buried his second of the year 22 seconds later. Then it was show time for Noah Fladager. The 20-year-old accepted a pass from Paler-Chow out of the corner, went around a defender and sent a nasty back-hand on net that went just over the shoulder of Reid and under the bar for his second of the game and the eventual game winner. The Stampeders held on for a 4-3 win on home ice on Halloween Night at the Corral.
Final shots on goal
Virden – 41
Swan Valley – 31
The Stampeders have now won back-to-back games for the first time in over a month and look to continue on with their recent success when they travel south to Virden Saturday Oct. 30 for a rematch with the Oil Capitals.