By Bill Burfoot
📸 @your_pictures_here
The Niverville Nighthawks couldn’t have asked for a better start to their Friday night matchup against the Neepawa Titans. Despite coming into the game with a perfect 5–0 record, the Nighthawks have been looking for more consistent starts—and they got just that, scoring on their opening shift en route to a dominant 7–1 win.
Calyb Moore opened the scoring just 38 seconds into the game, knocking home a loose puck in the crease to give Niverville the early lead. Ryken Arran picked up the primary assist, collecting his first point of the season .
The Nighthawks struck again later in the period when Merik Boles won a puck battle behind the Titans net and fed Hayden Wheddon in front, who flipped the puck past Neepawa goaltender Mathew Michta to make it 2–0.
That score held through the end of the first period, despite Neepawa outshooting Niverville 15–8. Goaltender Austin Dubinsky was sharp, shutting the door on the Titans.
Early in the second, Niverville captain Adam Vigfusson made an immediate impact after serving a penalty. Moments after stepping out of the box, he carried the puck into the offensive zone and dropped it to Wheddon. The initial shot was blocked, but the puck bounced right back to Vigfusson, who buried it to extend the lead.
Neepawa finally solved Dubinsky midway through the second frame. After winning a faceoff in the Nighthawks’ zone, Keenan Skrupa’s point shot was blocked, but Ty Kirk jumped on the rebound and beat Dubinsky to cut the lead to 3–1.
With a chance to swing momentum on the power play, Neepawa instead saw the game slip further away. Niverville forward John Scott blocked a shot at his own blue line, broke in alone, and lifted a backhander over Michta’s blocker to restore the three-goal cushion.
