Road to the 2018 RBC Cup: Steinbach Pistons

Few teams did it better than the West Region champions, who fashioned a +166 goal differential.

Jason La Rose

Almost no one did it at both ends of the ice quite like the Steinbach Pistons, who posted the second-best goal differential in the CJHL at +166 (behind only Terrebonne, at +206) en route to a franchise-record 100 points.

Steinbach swept away Swan Valley in the first round before downing Winnipeg and Virden in six games apiece – coming back from an 0-2 deficit against the Oil Capitals to hoist the Turnbull Cup for the second time in six years.

It clinched its first-ever trip to the RBC Cup with an emotional series win in the ANAVET Cup, taking out the SJHL champions from Nipawin in six games to claim the West Region berth in Chilliwack.

HOW THEY GOT TO CHILLIWACK

Manitoba Junior Hockey League
Quarter-final: defeated Swan Valley 4-0 (4-0, 5-1, 6-0, 6-5 2OT)
Semifinal: defeated Winnipeg 4-2 (3-1, 2-3, 5-3, 1-3, 3-0, 3-2)
MJHL championship: defeated Virden 4-2 (1-2, 3-4, 5-3, 4-0, 7-1, 2-1)

ANAVET Cup
West Regional: defeated Nipawin 4-2 (3-4, 3-1, 6-2, 2-5, 2-1, 2-1)

REGULAR SEASON

Record: 48-8-2-2 (1st in MJHL)
Goals for: 296 (1st in MJHL)
Goals against: 130 (1st in MJHL)
Power play: 68 for 281 (24.2% – 2nd in MJHL)
Penalty killing: 211 of 256 (82.4% – 3rd in MJHL)
Longest winning streak: 10 (Dec. 3-31/Jan. 12-Feb. 9)
Top 3 scorers:
Bradley Schoonbaert (36G 55A 91P – 2nd in MJHL)
Drew Worrad (29G 46A 75P – 6th in MJHL)
Darcy Gula (14G 47A 61P – 16th in MJHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 16-6
Goals for: 78
Goals against: 43
Power play: 20 for 101 (19.8%)
Penalty killing: 71 of 81 (87.7%)
Top 3 scorers:
Drew Worrad (9G 18A 27P)
Bradley Schoonbaert (9G 16A 25P)
Austin Heidemann (8G 9A 17P)

NATIONAL JUNIOR A CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

First appearance

CJHL NATIONAL RANKINGS – WEEK-BY-WEEK

Preseason – 19th
Sept. 25 – 9th
Oct. 2 – 20th
Oct. 9 – 11th
Oct. 16 – 15th
Oct. 23 – 13th
Oct. 30 – 10th
Nov. 6 – 6th
Nov. 13 – 5th
Nov. 20 – 18th
Nov. 27 – 16th
Dec. 4 – 14th
Dec. 11 – 12th
Dec. 18 – 11th
Jan. 8 – 13th
Jan. 15 – 13th
Jan. 22 – 11th
Jan. 29 – 9th
Feb. 5 – 4th
Feb. 12 –4th
Feb. 19 – 3rd
Feb. 26 – 3rd
March 5 – 3rd

COMMITMENTS

Riese Gaber – Western Michigan University (2018-19)
Darby Gula – Bemidji State University (2018-19)
Matthew Thiessen – University of Maine (2019-20)
Drew Worrad – Western Michigan University (2018-19)