The Portage Terriers fought back but were unable to stop the Winkler Flyers from soaring. The Terriers were defeated 8-5 on the road last night and dropped their second straight contest.
The biggest difference in the game was the early flurry from Winkler. Just over a minute into the contest, the Terriers turned the puck over behind their own net, which resulted in a quick goal for Jayce Legaarden.
20 seconds later, another Terrier turnover in their own end created a chance for Nicholas McKee, and he made no mistake about it. Still in the first four minutes of play, Mike Svenson found himself on a breakaway, and his perfectly placed backhand shot ended Terrier goalie Bailey Monteith's night.
Trent Sambrook found the back of the net on the power-play midway through the first, and Legaarden put home his second of the night late in the frame to make it 5-0 after one.
The Terriers were frustrated in the first but showed why they are one of the best teams in the league the rest of the way.
Halfway through the second, Hayden Lacquette fired a shot of the bottom of the circle as Flyers' goalie Malachi Klassen was out of position and got the Terriers on the board.
Just 15 seconds later, Legaarden took a shot that tipped off the top of Jayden Catellier's glove and went behind him. The puck trickled through the crease and just crossed the red line, completing the hat-trick for Legaarden and bringing the Winkler lead to 6-1.
Austin Peters gave the Terriers some life, once again two minutes later as he received a pass from Austin McLean in a 2-on-0 and was fired up after finding the back of the net.
This energy spread throughout the Terrier lineup as McLean tipped a shot from Lacquette at the side of the net, which beat Klassen, and trimmed the lead down to three goals.
Unfortunately for the Terriers, they took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty just seconds later and gave up a goal near the end of the frame. They went into the third down 7-3.
Portage started off the period exactly how they hoped, as Jordan Murray got his first goal of the season just a minute into the period. Lacquette put home his second of the night before three minutes had passed but that was all the offence the Terriers were able to produce.
The Dogs let up an empty net goal with just over a minute left to play, bringing the final score to 8-5 Winkler.
Portage has just four games left before the holiday break, with the final one being a rematch against the Flyers. The Terriers will be back on home ice on Wednesday as they welcome the Steinbach Pistons to town.