It was a night of celebration at the CRRC as the Niverville Nighthawks gave their families, friends, and billet parents plenty to cheer about, skating to a 6–2 victory over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines on Billet Appreciation Night.

Close to 900 fans packed the arena for the second-last home game of the regular season, and they were treated to a game that had a bit of everything, highlighted by a stellar performance in goal and a perfect night on the power play.

The Wolverines came into the contest as one of the hottest teams in the MJHL, winning 13 of their last 15 games, and allowing just 13 goals in their last nine games. They also  dominated the shot clock on Saturday night.

Despite being outshot 41–22, however, Niverville leaned heavily on goaltender Austin Dubinsky, who turned aside 39 shots to earn his thirty-first win of the season.

“I felt really good tonight,” Dubinsky says. “Our team is finally getting going again and getting stronger as we head toward the playoffs and I feel like everything is starting to come together. We went through a little bit of a slump, but we’ve turned things around and are getting ready for the playoffs.”

The game opened with a physical edge and an early scare for the home side. Hayden Wheddon took a hard fall into the boards after getting tangled up with Wolverines defenceman Jake Nelson.

Although Wheddon needed assistance off the ice, he returned minutes later—and made an immediate impact.

On the power play, he danced around a defender and slid a backhand pass across the crease to Merik Boles, who buried the opener to give Niverville a 1–0 lead.

Two minutes later, Luke Wagner worked the puck down low and centred for Parker Rolston, whose shot was redirected by Calyb Moore at the top of the crease for his fourteenth goal of the season.

John Scott extended the lead to 3–0 late in the first, scooping up a loose puck behind the net and beating Wolverines goaltender Mariko Bercier on a wraparound.

Waywayseecappo answered before the intermission. On the power play, Sebastian Hicks fired a cross-ice pass to Kurt Rookes, who redirected it past Dubinsky to cut the deficit.

Scott struck again in the middle frame, finishing a one-timer from the right circle off a feed from Jaden Mah to restore the three-goal cushion at 4–1. The goal was Scott’s seventeenth of the season. This was his fourth multi-goal game.

The Wolverines pushed back on a two-on-one rush when Connor Roulette and Hicks executed a perfect give-and-go, with Roulette finishing the play to make it 4–2.

Nighthawks maintained control, thanks largely to Dubinsky’s steady presence in net.

“For us, that’s three games in four nights and the Wolverines are coming in fresh from their last game on Wednesday,” says Nighthawks head coach Dwight Hirst. “At the end of the day, when you get into a game like that, you have Dubinsky come in after having last night off and have a heck of a game for us. He stood on his head.”

Waywayseecappo pressed early in the third period, looking for a way back into the game, but Dubinsky continued to shut the door. That allowed Niverville to put the contest out of reach with two goals in a 2:40 span from Kole Mears and Wheddon, sealing the 6–2 victory.

Tempers flared late when Jake Demone and Rookes dropped the gloves in a spirited scrap, bringing the crowd to its feet one final time.

The Nighthawks also capitalized on special teams Saturday night, finishing a perfect three-for-three on the power play.

Beyond the two points, the night carried extra meaning as the organization honoured its billet families.

“Being a billet family is a very special thing for some people,” Hirst says. “You get to take some young men into your home who become lifelong friends. And if there are kids in the house who look up to them and get to play some road hockey and ball hockey with them, it’s a great thing for everyone. Without billets, you don’t have a team. So you need families and the community to open up their doors and develop those relationships over the years.”

Hirst also praises the home crowd, which has been a steady presence all season.

“Having the fans come out and support us, I think they see our group and see kids that just don’t quit and are relentless and giving their all for a full sixty minutes. I think the fans appreciate that and the team has gravitated to them.”

The victory marks the Nighthawks’ sixth straight win. Meanwhile, the Steinbach Pistons extended their own streak to 12 straight victories with a 4–1 win over Neepawa. However, Steinbach remains five points back of Niverville for top spot in the MJHL standings with five games remaining for both clubs.

Niverville will now prepare for the rubber match against the Wolverines on Tuesday night in Waywayseecappo. They’ll then return home on Friday to face the Monarchs in their final regular season home game.

See below for game highlights and an exclusive interview with Austin Dubinsky.