News, Playoffs

Blizzard advance, Terriers earn 3-1 series lead

by ksaurette

Photo: Sara Francouer

WINNIPEG, MB – The Northern Manitoba Blizzard hung on to beat the Neepawa Titans in game five and advance to the second round of the McMunn & Yates Turnbull Cup Playoffs while the Portage Terriers outlasted the Steinbach Pistons to win in double overtime and take a commanding 3-1 series lead on Friday night.

Blizzard 3 Titans 2 | Blizzard win best-of-seven series 4-1
Cheechoo Lathlin scored twice while Taye Timmerman made 26 saves in a 3-2 win on home ice in game five to earn a 4-1 series victory over the Neepawa Titans.

Carter McLeod opened the scoring for the Titans on the powerplay just minutes before Cheechoo Lathlin tied the game for the Blizzard with a powerplay marker of his own. In the back half of the second period, the Blizzard scored a pair of key goals. Hugo Larkin gave the Blizzard a 2-1 lead to let way for Lathlin to find the back of the net for his second powerplay goal of the game near the end of the second.


Kyle Weisgarber scored his third of the playoffs in the early stages of the third period to cut the Blizzard lead to 3-2. Neepawa would pull KC Couckuyt for the extra attacker but that’s as close as the Titans would get as the Blizzard would win 3-2 in game five to become the first team to advance to the second round in the McMunn & Yates Turnbull Cup Playoffs.

The Blizzard now await their second round opponent.

Terriers 4 Pistons 3 F/2OT | Terriers lead best-of-seven series 3-1
Scott Cousins jumped on a rebound in front of the net at 9:32 of double overtime and beat Christian Green to give the Terriers a 4-3 win in game four, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Following a scoreless first period, it was the Pistons who would strike first as Brett Kaiser would net his first of the playoffs early in the second before Connor Paronuzzi added to the Steinbach lead, scoring with under three to play in the period. The Terriers would find a late answer when Kyan Grouette cut the lead in half to send the two clubs into the third period in a one-goal game.

On an early powerplay in the third, Tristan Gravenor scored for the Terriers to tie the game just 57 seconds into the final twenty minutes of regulation. The Terriers struck back again when William McKay scored six minutes later to give the Terriers a 3-2 lead, their first lead of the night.

The Pistons wouldn’t back down as Mathis Laplante tied the game at 3-3 just before the midway mark of the period which would send these two clubs to overtime. Following a scoreless first overtime, Scott Cousins buried a loose puck at the mouth of the net in double overtime to give the Terriers a big win and a 3-1 series lead.


Game five is set for Saturday night in Steinbach with puck drop set for 7:00.