The Pembina Valley Hawks U18 AAA wrapped up a demanding five-day stretch with a 1–2 record, earning one win at Central Plains while dropping close contests to the Winnipeg Wild and Central Plains at home.
Pembina Valley opened the week with a 5–4 loss to the Winnipeg Wild on Jan. 7 at the Access Event Centre in Morden. The Hawks carried a 2–1 lead out of the first period after Cole Secord and Tyson Pethybridge found the net, but Winnipeg responded with two second-period goals to take control.
Connor Zuk and Ryan Strilchuk scored for the Wild in the third to extend the lead before Pembina Valley mounted a late push. Ragnar Gillis cut the deficit midway through the period, and Caden McMahon added a power-play goal with just over a minute remaining, but the Hawks were unable to force overtime. Goaltender Bleznuk made 34 saves in the loss.
The Hawks rebounded the following night with a 6–3 road win over the Central Plains Capitals on Jan. 8 in Portage la Prairie. After Central Plains opened the scoring on the power play, Pethybridge tied the game late in the first period.
Pembina Valley took control in the second, with McMahon scoring twice and Gillis adding a shorthanded marker. Pethybridge added his second of the game early in the third, while Carson Hiebert sealed the win with a power-play empty-net goal. McMahon finished with two goals, while goaltender Peters stopped 29 of 32 shots.
The teams met again Jan. 11 in Morden, where Central Plains earned a 5–3 victory despite Pembina Valley holding a significant edge in shots on goal. The Hawks answered Central Plains goals twice in the second period, with Pethybridge and Casey Magarrell scoring to keep the game tied.
The third period saw the Capitals score three times, including a power-play goal just 34 seconds in. McMahon briefly pulled Pembina Valley within one with his third goal of the week, but Central Plains added two more to secure the win. Pembina Valley fired 46 shots on goal, but Central Plains goaltending held firm.
With the results, the Hawks sit seventh in the U18 AAA standings at 18-11-0 with 37 points, one point ahead of Parkland and two back of Southwest. Winnipeg Wild continue to lead the league standings.
Pembina Valley returns to action Thursday, Jan. 15, on the road against Eastman in Steinbach, before hosting Parkland for a weekend home-and-home series on Jan. 17 and 18 at the Access Event Centre.
