A hot start and strong forecheck led the Portage Terriers to a 6-4 win over the Selkirk Steelers on Tuesday night. Portage came out of the gate firing.
In the first minute of the game Selkirk goalie Noel Olsonawski got caught playing the puck behind his net and Will McKay blasted it into an empty cage for his fifth of the season.
The Terriers kept the pressure coming and Koy Funk deposited a rebound six minutes later to make it 2-0 Portage.
Penalty trouble hurt the Terriers as the Steelers scored a quick one-timer goal on the power play late in the first. 2-1 Portage after 1.
The Dogs extended their lead back to two early in the second period off the stick of Caleb Lepitre.
Selkirk wouldn’t quit and hometown product Dawson Dear scored to make it 3-2. Despite four straight power plays in the second, the Steelers weren’t able to tie the game heading into the third.
Starting the third period on the man advantage did help Selkirk though as Owen Warnick scored to make it 3-3. It was the first time the game had been tied since the opening minute.
The teams traded goals in quick succession; Tristan Gravenor for Portage, Wyatt Witham for Selkirk and then Nolan Nenow for the Terriers.
Late in the game Adam Belzil knocked home Portage’s second power play goal of the night to make it 6-4. Mitchell Kathler held down the fort the rest of the way finishing with 31 saves.
It’s the fourth win in a row for the Terriers stretching back to before the Christmas break. The Terriers will now host the Dauphin Kings Wednesday night at Stride Place. Puck drop is at 7:30pm.