A four-goal second period proved decisive as the Ft. Garry/Ft. Rouge Twins defeated the Pembina Valley Twisters 6–3 in Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League action Friday night at the Morris MultiPlex.
Pembina Valley opened the scoring midway through the first period when Ayden Lazarenko found the net at 7:37, giving the Twisters an early 1–0 lead. Ft. Garry responded early in the second period, however, and quickly took control of the game.
Lucas Spencer tied the contest at 2:42 of the second period, before Ketema Wall restored the Twisters’ lead with a shorthanded goal at 6:33. The lead was short-lived, as the Twins scored three unanswered goals later in the period — including a power-play marker by Drew Russell at 19:15 — to take a 4–2 advantage into the intermission.
Ft. Garry added two more goals in the third period, with Spencer completing a hat trick and Russell scoring his second power-play goal of the night. Carter Unger scored Pembina Valley’s final goal at 4:26 of the third period, converting on the power play.
The Twins outshot the Twisters 53–38. Rowan Cherkas made 47 saves in goal for Pembina Valley, while Alex Pauls stopped 35 shots to earn the win for Ft. Garry.
With the loss, Pembina Valley fell to 5-27-1 on the season and remains 10th in the MMJHL standings. Ft. Garry improved to 17-14-3 and sits seventh overall.
The teams will meet again later this season as Pembina Valley continues its final stretch of the regular season.
Several local players were recognized with selection to the 2026 MMJHL All-Star Game, which was played Saturday, Feb. 7, at Eric Coy Arena in Winnipeg. Representing the Pembina Valley Twisters were forwards Owen Vanrobaeys, Ethan Wilde, and Matt Lizotte. The All-Star selections highlight strong individual seasons and gave local fans a chance to see familiar faces compete alongside the league’s top talent.
Upcoming games
Feb. 10 — Pembina Valley at River East Royal Knights, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 13 — Raiders Jr. Hockey Club at Pembina Valley, 8 p.m.
Feb. 15 — Pembina Valley at Transcona Railer Express, 2 p.m.
