2015 rbc cup terriers win feature
© Matthew Hermiz/Portage Daily Graphic

Terriers win MJHL championship

Portage goes 12-0 to claim eighth league title

Jason La Rose
|
April 24, 2015
|
Impressive. Dominant. Perfect.

Choose any word you want to describe the Portage Terriers’ run to the eighth MJHL championship in franchise history – and fifth in eight years – but one thing is for certain … it was quick.

The RBC Cup hosts played just 9:44 over the absolute minimum they had to, sweeping Waywayseecappo, Virden and Steinbach to win the league title and book their spot at the Western Canada Cup.

Portage became the first team since the 1985-86 Winnipeg South Blues to sweep every round in the MJHL playoffs, arguably cementing its status as favourites at the regional and national tournaments in the process.

“It’s always a good thing to be the last team standing at the end,” Terriers head coach Blake Spiller told CFRY Radio after Portage clinched the league title. “I’m really proud of my team. We have a great group of guys on this team. To go undefeated in the playoffs is great.”

Including regular season and playoff games, the Terriers are now a ridiculous 65-3-4, and their playoff run, combined with three straight victories to close out the regular season, gives Portage a 15-game winning streak; it’s the fourth time this season it has won at least 13 in a row.

The Terriers opened the postseason with a convincing sweep of Waywayseecappo, outscoring the Wolverines 31-1 in the four games, and needed only four more to oust Virden.

Including in the first two rounds was a remarkable streak of 307 minutes and three seconds without allowing a goal, from the dying seconds of Game 1 against Waywayseecappo to early in Game 3 against Virden.

In fact, Portage came within four seconds of a complete series shutout in the opening round; Waywayseecappo’s Robert Briem scored on the power play in the final seconds of Game 1.

The MJHL final matched the Terriers with Steinbach in a showdown between the league’s top two regular season teams. Of course, Portage finished 25 points ahead of the Pistons, but Steinbach was the only team to beat Portage more than once.

After a 7-1 rout on home ice in Game 1, the Terriers got a late winner from Carson Perreaux to win Game 2, and opened up a four-goal lead in Game 3 en route to a 4-2 victory that put them on the brink of the title.

Down 3-0 early in the second period of Game 4, the Pistons clawed back to within a goal, but again Perreaux stepped up with a big goal, scoring the eventual game-winner with 13 minutes to go as Portage earned a 4-3 victory and the MJHL championship.

“It’s unreal, to win it with these guys, this bunch … after the year we’ve had it is just fitting to end it with a championship,” Terriers forward Zack Waldvogel told the Portage Daily Graphic. “It was nerve-wracking leading up to (the final buzzer), they made it close.”

“It was such a relief, words can’t describe it. I was just so excited.”

Terriers forward Jordyn Boyd led the league in postseason scoring (6-11—17), following closely by Waldvogel (8-8—16), playoff MVP Dane Schioler (3-13—16), Shawn Bowles (8-7—15) and Brad Bowles (4-11—15).

Justin Laforest was lights out in the Terriers goal, starting 11 of the 12 games, posting four shutouts and finishing with a spectacular 1.24 goals-against average and .946 save percentage.

So what’s next?

The Terriers are off to Fort McMurray, Alta., for the 2015 Western Canada Cup, where they will face off with three other league champions – the Melfort Mustangs (SJHL), Penticton Vees (BCHL) and Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) – and the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons.

Portage will get an up-close look at half of their competition for Canada’s National Junior A Championship, since two of the four teams at the Western Canada Cup will advance to the 2015 RBC Cup.

The Terriers are looking to become the first team since the 2002 Halifax Oland Exports, and just the third in the RBC Cup era (since 1996) to win league, regional and national championships as the RBC Cup host team.

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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