Portage Terriers

Another tight game went down between the Portage Terriers and Neepawa Titans in the second game of a season-opening home-and-home series. This time it was Portage coming out on top 3-2 in a shootout.

The Titans scored the game's opening goal in the dying seconds of a powerplay, as Caden Hegarty found some room in the slot and put a shot past Mitchell Kathler to make it 1-0 Neepawa.

The Portage Terriers and Neepawa Titans will meet up for the second time in as many nights, this time for the Dogs home opener.

The first matchup saw Neepawa win 7-6 in a tightly contested affair, and also dealt Portage a significant blow when a player who was expected to be a major contributor on the squad, Scott Cousins was injured early in the game.

The Terriers will look to open their home schedule with a win to bring their record back to an even one win and one loss.

A tough test ended with multiple fights, and 13 total goals scored, as the Portage Terriers lost their season-opener against the Neepawa Titans, 7-6. 

Owen Witt scored the game's first goal just over four minutes into play. He got the puck near the blueline, beat his man wide, got a shot off and buried the rebound to kick off the campaign, drawing assists from Adler Johnston and his defensive partner, Grant Dardis.

Caden Hegarty would answer back for the Titans on the powerplay after Parker Scherr took an interference penalty.

The Portage Terriers are preparing to kick off their season with a home-and-home series against the Neepawa Titans.

click here to listen - Hi-Tec Industries pregame show starts at 7:20 p.m.

For the first time years, the Dogs lost more games to the Titans than they won, getting swept in the season series, with four losses.

However, if the preseason was any indication, this Portage team will be prepared for them this year, as they won both games against Neepawa.

The Portage Terriers are hungry to start the new 2024-25 season after being bounced from the playoffs in the first round this Spring. The only consolation from an early playoff exit was the fact it was at the hands of the eventual league champions, the Winkler Flyers.

The Portage Terriers continue to trim their roster for the upcoming season, as they announced the trade of forward Nathan Lenoski to the Dauphin Kings this morning.

Lenoski joined the Terriers before last season, coming over in a trade with the Winnipeg Freeze for defenceman Darien Schaan, and third-round draft pick and future considerations. 

Lenoski would put up 25 points in 43 games, while missing some time to injury, and played in all five playoff games.

The Portage Terriers iced a more veteran lineup in their third preseason game, with the lineup getting close to being solidified for the

After 20 minutes, both teams battled to a dead-even 0-0 score. Neepawa led in shots, but Terrier netminder Jacob Armstrong made a couple of dandy saves to keep the Titans off the board. The Terriers would kill off a 5-on-3 powerplay in the late going of the period to preserve the tie.

The rain and cool conditions didn't keep over 100 attendees off the course at the Portage Golf Club for the Portage Terriers' fifth annual Geno Romanow Par Three Challenge.

Terriers Marketing Director Cody Buhler says that despite the weather, the event went very well.

"I think the rain to start, and pretty much throughout, put a bit of a damper on spirits, but for the most part actually, everybody overall was having a lot of fun, had a good time and tried to make the best of it."

Buhler notes that sponsors always play a massive role in this tournament.

The Portage Terriers got a hat-trick out of Evan Lachimea in their last game against the Neepawa Titans on Wednesday, September 11, but expect that they'll have some reinforcements coming into the team's next game.

Portage will face off with Neepawa for the second time this preseason on Saturday, September 14, at Stride Place. Portage and Neepawa have met in the preseason several times over the course of the last few seasons, and Portage, in the previous three exhibition schedules, has a record of 5-1 (W-L), as well as taking the 'W' in their first preseason matchup this year.

The Portage Terriers are continuing a recent trend of having their captain be a returning defenceman, with the team announcing that Parker Scherr will be named the captain for this season.

Scherr was acquired from the Olds Grizzlys on September 22, 2022, for Future Considerations, which has worked out tremendously for the Dogs, as Scherr quickly established himself as a threat at both ends of the ice. 

Head Coach and GM of Portage, Blake Spiller commented in a press release from the Terriers that the decision was not very difficult.