The Portage Terriers started slow but finished strong as they beat the Winnipeg Blues 7-3 on Sunday night.
Penalty trouble was the downfall of the Terriers in the first period. Every time Portage found the back of the net the Blues responded with a power play goal. Terrier captain Tayem Gislason was moved to forward for the game, but was on the blueline for the power play when he opened the scoring with his 9th of the season. Evan Gradt made a nice move off the wall and snapped a shot past Jayden Catellier seven minutes later.
Portage's forecheck got the puck back in the attacking zone and Matthew Biros knocked home the go ahead goal. The lead was short lived; with Rhett Perrin in the box for hooking, Cole Penner tucked a rebound past Catellier to tie the game. 2-2 after one, despite the Terriers outshooting the Blues 16-8.
Portage took the lead again midway through the second period. A neutral zone turnover gave the Terriers a 3 on 1 rush and Perrin snapped a nice shot under the glove of River Leslie-Toogood. The Blues scored their third and final goal of the game, tying it at three midway through the second. 3-3 after 2.
Once the third period started, the Terriers started to pull away. Cam Bullinger scored on the power play, Gabriel Laflamme finished off a nice pass from behind the net, and then Alyandro De Leon put it away with a nice one timer infront. Despite trailing by three goals, the Blues pulled their netminder and Parker Korman put it into the empty cage to make it 7-3. Special teams played a big role in the game. Portage finished 2/5 on the power play and 7/9 on the penalty kill.
The Terriers will now get a break until Saturday February 3, when they play the Swan Valley Stampeders at Stride Place.