Natives remain on edge of playoffs
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- Published on Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Photo by Eoin Devereux. Griffin Chwaliboga scored the shootout winner for the Neepawa Natives on Friday, Feb. 24 against the Portage Terriers.
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
As the MJHL regular season winds down to its final weekend, the Neepawa Natives remain on the edge of the playoffs. As of Monday, Feb. 27, the club was just a single point out of the eighth and final playoff spot. Neepawa helped their own cause with an important 6-5 shootout victory over the Portage Terriers on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Yellowhead Centre.
The game started off well for the Terriers, as Jeremey Leipsic scored a pair of goals early, first off a breakaway and then off a rebound. Before the first period ended, however, Josh Sielsky notched his eighth of the year, to cut Portage’s lead in half at 2-1.
In the second, Portage once again claimed a two point cushion near the midway point, off a Brendan Kochanski goal. It wasn’t long after that when Neepawa would storm back with three goals before the second intermission. Nick Schultze put two of those away, while Justin Metcalf collected the other.
Once the third period began, Neepawa kept the pressure on early. That paid off as team captain Reigan Buchanan added to Neepawa’s lead, making it 5-3. Portage fought back however with a quick pair of goals to tie the game and make things tense to close out regulation.
The five minute overtime session featured several chances, but neither team was able to score. It would then take nine rounds in the shoot out to decide the winner, as Neepawa’s Griffin Chwaliboga would be the hero, potting the game winner and temporarily pushing the Natives into the playoffs.
After the game, head coach Dustin Howden said there’s a true sense of belief right now, that they can succeed.
“We have so much character in the dressing room right now. Everyone has bought in to the system and are pushing as hard as they can to get into the playoffs. That was one of our goals at the start of the year. That we wanted to compete for a playoff spot and that’s where we’re at right now,” Howden said. “Anything can happen in these last few games, but we’re working hard and doing everything we can to make it happen.”
The next night, the Natives traveled to Portage to once again face the Terriers. On this night, it was the Terriers who were able to bounce back, earning the 5-3 win. Nolan Richards scored a pair of goals, while Peyton Malcolm secured the other. That loss, combined with a Swan Valley win over Virden on Sunday, Feb. 26, knocked Neepawa back out of the playoffs by a single point. With the season winding down quickly, the final playoff spot might not be decided until the final night of the regular season, as the Neepawa Natives will host the Swan Valley Stampeders at the Yellowhead Centre on Sunday, Mar. 5. Start time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
