The Niverville Nighthawks started strong and never let up, earning their first every playoff win at the CRRC on Sunday night, a 6-1 route of the Winkler Flyers, evening up the best of seven quarter-final at 1-1.
There was a buzz in the building right from warmups as the Nighthawks fans and the traveling Flyers fans knew after game one, it was going to be a dandy.
Niverville needed a strong start and that's exactly what they got at an unlikely time.
Less than five minutes in and with the home side short handed, the Flyers goalie went behind the net to play the puck but mishandled it, allowing Matteo Speranza to sneak in, take the puck and stuff it into the open net.
Jase Konecnsi picked up the 175-foot assist as he dumped the puck down the ice that set the crowd on fire and seemed to put the Flyers on tilt a little.
Austin Dubinsky, arguably the best player on either side in the series, kept his team up 1-0 with some solid work between the pipes.
The Nighthawks and their fans would have been happy to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission but Dawson Zeller had other ideas.
With under a minute to go in the period, the Flyers looked as though they had things in control, working the puck down in the Niverville zone. Great defensive work by the Nighthawks paired with support from the forwards, managed to get the puck back and the home side worked their way up the ice.
Hayden Wheddon cut into the Flyers zone and took a pretty solid jolt while making a pass over to Aiden Corbett who wired a shot that squeaked through Liam Ernst and slowly made it's way to the goalie line. While it looked as though the puck had run out of gas, Dawson Zeller was there to make sure it crossed the line, scoring into the open net to make it 2-0, bringing the Nighthawks faithful to their feet again.
Winkler managed to outshoot the Nighthawks 11-9 but trailed 2-0 after the first.
In the second, both teams refused to give an inch. Both sides were physical, fast, and playing the type of playoff-style hockey that fans on both sides can enjoy.
After the midway point of the frame, another good, hardworking forecheck by the Nighthawks freed up a puck and a somewhat harmless looking shot by Seas Williams managed to sneak through after it possibly hit something or someone on the way to the net, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Looking to keep the crowd on their feet, Bryce Warkentine dropped the gloves with Max Lavoie, who wanted to spark his team. Both threw some heavy punches, spinning around while throwing hay-makers, with Lavoie getting the takedown but both can feel like they did their jobs.
Not out of it, the Flyers did manage to get some momentum on a power play. It was a 5-on-3 advantage for the visitors that allowed the extra space for Jayce Legaarden to snipe his first of the playoffs from Brody Beauchemin and Isaiah Peters.
A much needed goal for the Flyers gave them life as they went into the second intermission down 3-1.
Niverville would not let them get any closer.
For any Nighthawks fans that were nervous, an unlikely hero stepped up. Holden Getzlaf scored his first ever MJHL goal, restoring Niverville's three-goal lead, putting them back up 4-1 just over a minute into the third period.
Getzlaf's goal was off a perfectly executed play which saw Corbett and Wheddon collect their second points of the night, respectively.
With the Flyers pushing, it was Dubinsky coming up massive as the 19-year-old stopped a tip shot then sprawled out to save the rebound, too.
The incredible save by Dubinsky started the play the other way for Niverville and Wheddon rewarded his goaltenders stellar work by scoring to make it 5-1, a goal that really tested the building's roof construction as it just about blew off from all the noise.
Zeller picked up the lone assist but that goal doesn't happen with Dubinsky.
Williams sealed any doubt by scoring his second of the night a few minutes later from Luke Wagner.
Things escalated late as Brady Craik went after a Nighthawks player after the whistle and was assessed a 10-minute misconduct and later, Jared Grenier was given a 5-minute major for charging after he took a run at a Niverville defender.
It managed to get quiet after that as time ran out and the Nighthawks celebrated their first playoff win at the CRRC.
Time ran out and the series is now a best of 5, with both teams winning on home ice to start the series.
Niverville's power play went 0-3. Winkler went 1-2.
Dubinsky made 33 saves in the victory, while Ernst stopped 25 in the loss.
Game three is back at the Icon Arena on Tuesday night.