News, Playoffs

Nighthawks take 3-0 series stranglehold

by ksaurette

WINNIPEG, MB – Merik Boles scored twice while Austin Dubinsky made 39 saves to help the Niverville Nighthawks double up the Virden Oil Capitals, 6-3 on Tuesday night, taking a 3-0 series lead in the McMunn & Yates Turnbull Cup Final.

It was a chaotic 1st period in Niverville to kick off game three when Adam Vigfusson scored his 10th of the postseason on a breakaway to send the sold out CRRC into a frenzy. No more than two minutes later, Evan Panzer put a puck on net and got a lucky bounce to bank in off of Braxton Burdeny, giving the Nighthawks an early 2-0 lead.


Tyson Ulmer would strike for the Oil Capitals through the midway mark of the period to cut the deficit in half, only to have Merik Boles score his first of the night on the powerplay, regaining the Nighthawks two-goal lead.

Virden continued to make a push with the Nighthawks on a powerplay when Liam Goertzen scored a shorthanded marker to pull his club back within a goal. The Oil Capitals would come all the way back to tie it at 3-3 thanks to a late goal from Austin Osiowy.

The special teams battle continued in the second period in what was a more quiet affair on the scoresheet. Merik Boles made a nice move around the Oil Capitals defender and chipped the puck in on a shorthanded play that would give the Nighthawks a 4-3 lead.


Virden would make a big push in the 3rd period where they would outshoot Niverville, 22-5. Despite that, John Scott would score in the opening six minutes to increase the Nighthawks lead by two. Virden would pull Burdeny for the extra attacker and Kole Mears would find the back of the empty net to seal up the 6-3 win for Niverville in game three.

Special teams has been one of the biggest factors in the series and it proved to be that way once again with the Nighthawks going 8-for-8 on the penalty kill.

Each time Virden makes a push where it looks like they have broken through, Austin Dubinsky and the Nighthawks defense core comes up big to shut them down.

Game four is set for Thursday night in Virden at Tundra Oil & Gas Place when the Nighthawks will have their first chance to hoist the Turnbull Cup with a win on the road.