The Waywayseecappo Wolverines comeback would fall short on Friday night as three-second period goals sank the club in a 5-2 loss to the Steinbach Pistons.
It was the Pistons who took the early momentum in the first period. After Jaymes Knee was called for a hook, the Pistons would get a couple chances on the man-advantage, but the Wolverines penalty kill would do a great job of keeping the Pistons to the perimeter.
Just before the midway point of the first, Max Neill put the Pistons ahead 1-0 when his shot beat Isaac LaBelle.
The Wolverines would kill off a Brandon Lawson slashing penalty late in the frame and head into the break trailing the Pistons, 1-0.
Going into the second period, the Wolverines would get an early powerplay chance after the Pistons took a late penalty in the first.
Only generating one quality chance on the man-advantage, the Wolverines would give one up just one minute after their chance on the powerplay when Easton Bennett would shoot one past the blocker of LaBelle which would give Steinbach a 2-0 lead.
The Wolverines would take a costly penalty just past the halfway point of the period. Brendan Martin scored his 16th of the season on the powerplay after outwaiting LaBelle in front to put the Pistons ahead 3-0.
31 seconds later, Steinbach would strike quickly when Tyson McConnell scored his 14th of the year, to increase the Pistons lead to 4-0.
Alex Lucken would try to spark the Wolverines late in the frame when he dropped the gloves with Brendan Westbrook in a heated tilt. Despite a few good chances near the end of the period, the Wolverines would head into the second intermission down 4-0.
Carter Loney would score an early goal for the Pistons which would end LaBelle’s night in net for the Wolverines. Nathan Reay entered the game in a relief role which would spark the club trailing 5-0.
Bryce Krauter redirected a Jack Kennedy point shot that beat Radomsky to cut the Wolverines deficit to four. Just 20 seconds later, newly named Captain Jake Bestul would score his third of the season to cut the Pistons lead to three. Bryce Krauter would get his second point of the night on the primary assist, while Gerrick Ripley would chip in on the other.
Despite getting six powerplay chances, the Wolverines were unable to connect on the man-advantage once again. Steinbach controlled the puck well on their powerplay chances, converting on 2 of 6 opportunities.
The loss drops the Wolverines record to 12-12-1-2 with a chance to get back in the win column on Saturday night when the club completes their two-game road trip in Portage against the first place Terriers.