Despite a recent stretch of cooler weather, winter still feels a ways off. But on Sunday afternoon, it felt a little closer. Junior hockey has officially returned to Niverville, with the Nighthawks opening their 2025–26 preseason with a spirited 5–2 loss to the visiting Selkirk Steelers.

While both teams opted to rest most of their veteran players, the intensity on the ice didn’t suffer, and the fans were treated to a fast-paced and competitive matchup.

The Steelers opened the scoring early in the first period during a chaotic net-front scramble. Nighthawks netminder Gavin Hildebrand made a pair of saves before the puck slipped loose to the top of the crease, where Selkirk’s Damon Marquart tapped it into the open net for a 1–0 lead.

Niverville responded quickly. Just under seven minutes into the frame, Ryden Duchon fed a crisp centring pass to James Nicholls, who finished from close range to even the score at one apiece.

The Nighthawks capitalized again moments later on their first power play of the afternoon. A point shot from Kellan Sichewski deflected off a body in front and landed at the stick of Dixon Hartwich, who lifted a backhand over Steelers goalie Zakary Matheson to give Niverville a 2–1 edge.

However, Selkirk evened it up before the end of the first on a tally from Noah Bonds, sending the teams to the dressing rooms tied at two.

Only one goal was scored in the second period—and it turned out to be the game-winner. Dylan Sveinson found the back of the net to give Selkirk a 3–2 lead heading into the final frame. 

The Steelers added two more in the third, capping off four unanswered goals to secure the 5–2 victory.

By the Numbers

All four goaltenders saw action and turned in solid performances. For the Nighthawks, Hildebrand stopped 14 of 16 shots, while Chase Charriere turned aside 14 of 15. On the other side, Matheson stopped 13 of 15, and Hudson Hunnie was perfect in his half of the game, stopping all 16 shots he faced.

Offensively, Selkirk’s Noah Russo (three assists) and Dylan Sveinson (two goals, one assist) led the way with three points apiece.

Niverville finished one for six on the power play, while their penalty kill was flawless, shutting down all six Selkirk opportunities. The final shot count narrowly favoured the Steelers, 33–31.

Looking Ahead

The Nighthawks and Steelers will meet again on Tuesday night in Selkirk for another preseason rematch. Niverville then returns home Wednesday night to host the Winnipeg Blues at the CRRC. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.