A complete effort saw Portage extend their win streak to four games with a 7-3 win over the Selkirk Steelers, officially clinching a playoff spot.
The Terriers came out strong in the first, with Trevor Hill deflecting one home off a great pass from Drayden Uhrina.
Only six seconds later, Ben Albers notched his first of the season, beating the Steelers netminder on the far side from a long way out.
Dexter Materi would add a goal a little past the halfway point, as Jonah Lemoine found him on a cross-crease pass to extend Portage’s lead to 3-0.
Lemoine, who recorded multiple points in the game, notes what he saw on the attack.
“At first, I was looking shot, but then I heard him call for it, so I looked up and saw him there, so I was like, ‘Yeah, might as well pass it to him.'”
Selkirk would add a goal at the 14:31 mark, but that was it for the first, 3-1 after 20 minutes.
An even second frame saw no goals until the last five minutes, where Selkirk brough the game to within one on the powerplay.
But two late goals by Jonah Lemoine and Dylan Karran sent the Dogs to the intermission up 5-2.
Portage added another pair of goals in the third from Justin Deschenes and Edward Knittig, with the Steelers adding another one with only seconds remaining to finish the game with a big 7-3 victory.
Ben Albers recorded a pair of points in the game and says the key to stringing a few more wins together at the end of the season is staying composed.
“I think not getting too high on yourself. Just playing every night the same way, gritty and playing the way that the Portage Terriers play.”
The Terriers will get Saturday off before taking on the Winnipeg Monarchs on Sunday night.
