Despite scoring the first goal, the Portage Terriers fell 5-1 Saturday night to the Steinbach Pistons. Special teams was the downfall for Portage. The Terriers went 0/6 on the power play while the Pistons went 3/4.
The game started with some great chances for both teams. The Terriers hit a post and Chris Fines made a big save. Brenden Holba opened the scoring for Portage on a shorthanded breakaway less than four minutes into the game. Steinbach countered later in the period with a tipped point shot by Quintin Pepper on the power play. 1-1 after 20 minutes.
Early in the second period Terrier defenceman Hayden Lacquette drew a penalty but Portage couldn’t capitalize. As the penalty expired Jack Rogers took a nice pass from the corner and buried a shot to give Steinbach the lead for the first time in the game. Things started to open up for the Pistons and the goals kept coming. A Zac Patrick point shot was tipped by Braden Birnie in front of the net on the power play. 3-1 Pistons.
The Terriers went back to the box a few minutes later and Birnie scored his second of the night at the side of the net. 4-1 Steinbach.
The Terriers tried to claw their way back into the game midway through the third and started to get some chances, hitting the crossbar on the power play. The Pistons then put the game out of reach minutes later when Cooper Rice squeaked a shot past Fines.
Steinbach outshot Portage 48-21. This is the final meeting of the season between these two clubs. The Terriers get ready to host Virden on Tuesday Feb. 1 in a make up game from earlier in January.
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