Portage Terriers

A tightly-contested affair between the Portage Terriers and Winkler Flyers ended in a 3-2 shootout loss for Portage.

Koy Funk's 13th of the season would come on the powerplay, as a long shot from Nolan Nenow would get a nice tip over the glove hand of Flyers netminder Liam Ernst to get Portage up 1-0.

Winkler would add a goal in the second period to make it a 1-1 game, as Portage found themselves hemmed in their own end following a penalty kill. That would last until the end of the second period.

The Portage Terriers continued their hot streak Wednesday night, securing their fifth consecutive win with a commanding 5-2 victory over the Dauphin Kings.

Special teams were the story of the night, with Portage converting four of five power play opportunities and killing off seven of eight penalties, including a crucial two-minute 5-on-3 disadvantage.

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.

Hockey has a way of bringing people together, and the Portage Terriers are witnessing that first-hand.

Jacob Michelson, a Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan product, largely appeared out of the aether to slot into the Dogs lineup on opening night in Neepawa and quickly became a favourite in Portage, due to his consistent effort and work ethic on every shift.

He shares his thoughts on coming out and living in Portage 

The Portage Terriers picked up where they left off in 2024 with a 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Freeze.

Near the middle of the first period, Wyatt Dreger found a puck sitting in some open ice after a scramble in front, and put away Portage's first goal in 2025.

He outlines his thoughts on scoring that marker.

"It feels really good, actually. Hopefully more will come."

That was the only shot to find the scoreboard, as Portage led Winnipeg 1-0 through 20 minutes. Portage outshot Winnipeg 12-4 in the frame.

Every year, 13 teams are in competition for the Turnbull Cup, and so far this season, the Portage Terriers are holding themselves in playoff contention with their eyes on another ring. Head Coach and General Manager Blake Spiller, along with Marketing Director Cody Buhler, presented their thoughts on the past calendar year, along with some of the plans they are looking forward to in the coming year.

Spiller notes that while the first half of 2024 didn't end how they hoped, they faced a team that deserved the chances the got.

With most hockey seasons taking breaks, that means lots of players are travelling home for the holidays, including members of the Portage Terriers.

Those who saw Dean Stewart in action with the Portage Terriers between 2014 and 2016 may not have understood at the time how far his hockey career would take him. After two seasons with the Dogs, Stewart was drafted in the seventh round by the Arizona Coyotes and would play four years in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's top division with the University of Nebraska-Omaha, including filling the captain's role in his fourth year.

An outstanding performance in goal and some timely scoring were the difference as the Portage Terriers took down the Winnipeg Freeze 3-0 in their final game before the Christmas break.

A couple of penalties were all that would hit the scoresheet in the first period, as Portage's powerplay put several good chances to the net, but were unable to capitalize. The shots were 14-3 for Portage but the score remained 0-0 after 20 minutes.

The Portage Terriers will play one final game before the Christmas break will take players home for the holidays.

The Winnipeg Freeze come to town to face the Terriers for the fourth time this season, having lost all three previous contests by a combined score of 16-3.

The Dogs will look to extend the win streak against the Freeze with a sixth consecutive win over the last two seasons. Portage has only lost one game to the Freeze in their history, a 4-3 extra-time affair which saw the Terriers give up a goal late in the third period to tie it.