After a slower first, the Steinbach Pistons came out flying in the second and third periods and came away with a solid 2-1 win in Nipawin to grab a 3-2 series lead over the Hawks in the ANAVET Cup finals Friday night.

The Pistons came out much better in the first period of game 5 then they did in the opening frame of game 4. Both teams generated some chances but the goalies stood tll.

A power play resluted in a great opportunity for Bradley Schoonbaert as the forward walked out from the corner and got a wrister away that clanked off the crossbar and stayed out. 

It was scoreless when the Hawks were able to score the first goal for the fourth time in five games. Brandon Arnold collected his sixth goal of the ANAVET Cup as he caught the Pistons puck watching in their own zone and got the Hawks fans riled up making it 1-0.

Later in the period, it was again the post that bailed out Nipawin.

Schoonbaert and Drew Worrad ripped through the neutral zone on an offensive attack. Schoonbaert cut behing Worrad and drew the defenders and even the goalie towards him. Instead of dropping the puck back, Worrad held on and slid a shot along the ice that hit the post square one. Again, the Hawks found the rebound first and managed to clear the puck before it could be deposited into the net.

Shots were 14-8 in favour of Nipawin and the score reflected that as the Hawks led 1-0 after 1.

Then, the Pistons took over.

Steinbach came out pressing in the middle period, directing many shots on net. The ice really tilted towards the Nipawin goalie in that period as the shots finished up 15-8 for the blue and white but the score remained 1-0 Nipawin.

More shots and chances followed for the road warriors in the third and finally, they were rewarded.

A good hard drive along the boards by Schoonbaert got Steinbach into the zone. Schoonbaert took a hit to make the puck go to Austin Heidemann who ticked it back to the point for Darby Gula. Gula got a rocket of a point shot away that missed the net and banked off the glass behind the goal right out in front to the waiting stick of Drew Worrad. 

The game tying goal was Worrads 3rd of the ANAVET Cup final and things were all squared up less than four minutes into the period.

Steinbach owned the middle part of the period and continued to get chances from all angels.

The Nipawin defence could only hold on for so long.

A play started in the Pistons defensive zone when Mark Wilson rocketed a cross ice pass to Jack Johnson who was streaking through the neutral zone. The pass was a bit behind Johnson but the talented forward was able to deflect it between his own legs without missing a stride and keep going towards the offensive zone. Tyson McConnell joined and took the puck around the goal drawing the Hawks attention as Johnson slipped into the slot almost completely unnoticed. McConnell's pass was as perfect as Johnson's shot and in a flash, it was 2-1 Steinbach with just over seven minutes to go in the game.

The Pistons clamped down defensively and didn't allow Nipawin much of anything in the way of chances, let alone momentum. 

Late towards the end of the game, the Hawks lone highlight was a hit on Easton Bennett as he cut towards the net, he was rocked by a solid hit that left the forward dazed. Bennett refused to stay down though and gutted it out, making his way to the bench to make sure his team didn't get caught with having only four men in the play when there should have been five. 

"I didn't want to be laying on the ice if they scored," Bennett said after the game. His teammates appreciated the heart and effort it took to get up after such a jarring hit.

Steinbach's centerman Tyson McConnell was terrific in the faceoff circle winning all three draws in the defensive zone after the Pistons iced the puck a number of times. McConnell, along with defenders Mark Wilson, Mark Taraschuk and forwards Braden Purtill along with Tanner Mole secured the victory without allowing a Hawks shot on goal in the final 98 seconds of play.

2-1 was the final as Matthew Thiessen finished with 24 saves in a bounce back performance as he kept his team in the game through 40 minutes until Worrad and Johnson got Steinbach on the board.

The lone power play of the game went to Steinbach who missed out on Schoonbaerts shot by meer inches to go 0-1. The penalty kill was not pressed into duty a single time.

Steinbach skated away winning two out of the three games in Nipawin to grab a 3-2 series lead heading back to Steinbach for game 6 Monday night.