If the first two meetings of the season were any indication, Tuesday night’s third showdown between the Niverville Nighthawks and Portage Terriers was destined to be tight. Through the first 50 minutes, it lived up to the billing.
With the season series tied at one and both teams owning 3–2 wins against each other, the latest chapter remained scoreless after two periods at Stride Place.
But a late surge from the Nighthawks proved too much for Portage, as the Nighthawks scored three times in a 3:30 span on their way to securing a 3–0 win.
Niverville entered the game riding an impressive 11-game winning streak, their last loss coming back on December 10—against none other than Portage. The Nighthawks were without some offensive firepower, however, missing captain Adam Vigfusson and starting goaltender Austin Dubinsky, both sidelined with injuries. Ben Chornomydz earned his third consecutive start in the absence of Dubinsky, while the Terriers countered with Ryan Velan between the pipes.
The opening period was a defensive chess match, with neither team giving much space. Shots and chances were limited, although the Nighthawks held a slim 8–7 edge. Grade-A chances were scarce and the game remained scoreless after 20 minutes.
The pace picked up early in the second thanks to both teams getting opportunities on the power play. The Nighthawks nearly struck first when Calyb Moore knocked down a pass at the red line and broke in alone on a partial breakaway. Hooked from behind, Moore still managed to dribble a backhand attempt through the crease, but the puck stayed out.
On the ensuing power play, the Nighthawks came close once again. Marlen Edwards threaded a perfect pass to Hayden Wheddon at the side of the net, but with the cage wide open, Wheddon sent the puck back through the crease, looking skyward in disbelief.
Momentum swung quickly the other way when Parker Seymour stepped out of the penalty box, collected the puck, and found himself on a partial breakaway. Edwards hustled back and slashed Seymour to disrupt the chance, handing Portage a power play of their own, but the Terriers were unable to capitalize.
Wheddon continued to buzz offensively midway through the period, breaking in on another partial breakaway and getting two looks on Velan, one on the initial backhand attempt and another on the rebound, but the Terriers’ goaltender stood tall to keep the MJHL’s leading point-getter off the scoresheet.
Niverville dominated the shot clock in the second period, outshooting Portage 16–5, but they couldn’t find the breakthrough goal.
After two periods, the score seemed fitting for a rivalry that saw six of the last eight regular-season meetings be decided by two goals or fewer.
In the third, the Terriers nearly broke through midway through on a dangerous two-on-one chance, but Chornomydz came up with a massive shoulder save to keep the game deadlocked.
That stop proved to be big.
Moments later, the Nighthawks finally found the breakthrough. Dawson Zeller won a puck battle along the right wall and sent a backhand feed into the slot for Loik Leduc. Velan made the initial save, but the rebound kicked right back to Zeller, who buried it to give Niverville a 1–0 lead.
Niverville continued to press and doubled the advantage with just over five minutes remaining. Tyler Bernier found Ryken Arran on the left side, and the speedy forward carried the puck into the zone before slipping a backhand pass to John Scott in the slot. Scott moved in, beating Velan with a backhand to make it 2–0.
The Nighthawks put the game away just 53 seconds later. Wheddon won a footrace to the puck in the Portage corner and found Merik Boles in the right circle, who quickly slid a pass across the crease to Marlen Edwards. Edwards finished from the top of the blue paint, giving Niverville a 3–0 lead that held until the final buzzer. The goal extended Edwards’ point streak to seven games and Wheddon’s to nine games.
Chornomydz was once again rock-solid, turning aside all 24 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. The win improves the netminder to a perfect 12–0 on the year. Remarkably, he has yet to allow more than two goals in any start this season. He currently sits with a .942 save percentage and 1.32 goals-against average.
At the other end, Velan was impressive as well, stopping 42 of 45 shots.
With the victory, the Nighthawks improve to 36–2–1 and extend their road record to an astounding 17–0–1, still without a regulation loss away from home. They also move to 3–0 on their seven-game road trip.
Niverville continues to flirt with MJHL history. The league benchmark remains Portage’s 2014–15 season, when the Terriers finished with 110 points and a .917 winning percentage. After Tuesday night’s win, the Nighthawks sit at .936 winning percentage with 19 games remaining on their schedule.
The road trip continues Friday night in Winnipeg against the Blues, followed by stops in Dauphin, Winnipeg, and Winkler before returning home to the CRRC on February 7 to take on the Virden Oil Capitals.