The Waywayseecappo Wolverines dominated early and carried that momentum on the way to a 3-2 victory over the Neepawa Natives on Wednesday night in Waywayseecappo.
It was all Wolverines in the first twenty minutes of play on Wednesday night in the Valley. Just 5:19 into the first, Gregg Lee capped off a beautiful tic-tac-toe scoring play when he beat Kolby Thornton through his five-hole after Anthony Bilka found him alone in the slot.
The Wolverines would continue to pressure the Natives and it would certainly pay off. Nick Doyle and Conrad Phillips would connect and find Brandon Lawson who walked in and ripped one past the glove of Thornton to put the Wolverines up 2-0 midway through the first.
Despite the Natives getting a late powerplay chance, Waywayseecappo would head into the first intermission leading 2-0 while dominating the shot clock, 18-2.
Although the Wolverines would continue to press in the second period, it would be the Neepawa Natives who would get on the board this time.
Noah Carson and Cam Olstad would score three minutes apart on separate powerplays and tie the game up at 2-2 despite Waywayseecappo outshooting Neepawa, 32-8. Waywayseecappo would get their chance on the powerplay but would be unable to find the twine and break the tie.
In the third period, Eli Lieffers would get called for a five-minute match penalty and the Wolverines would end up getting get two minutes of a 5-on-3 advantage after Mariash was called for tripping.
It wouldn’t be until late in the third that the 2-2 deadlock would be broken. On the powerplay, Karstin McDonald would score his first in a Wolverines uniform to launch Waywayseecappo in front, 3-2. Both Gregg Lee and Brandon Lawson would pick up assists for their second points of the game.
Neepawa would press late and pull Thornton for the extra attacker, but the Wolverines would hold on and win to pull within two points of the final playoff spot in the MJHL.
The Wolverines outshot the Natives 51-20 while capitalizing on just 1 of 5 powerplay chances.
Now 17-23-2-2 on the season, Waywayseecappo will have a day off before traveling to Steinbach one last time this season to take on the Pistons on Friday night at 7:30.