The Pembina Valley Twisters endured another difficult weekend in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League, dropping an 8–1 decision to the St. James Jr. Canucks on Friday before falling 9–1 to the St. Vital Jr. Victorias on Sunday at the Morris MultiPlex.
On Sunday, St. Vital took control from the opening shift, scoring four times in the first period and adding two more in the second to build an insurmountable lead. The Jr. Victorias finished with nine goals from across their lineup, while outshooting the Twisters 43–29. Pembina Valley’s lone goal came early in the third period when Darby Olson converted on the power play off a setup from Owen Vanrobaeys and Josh Guilford. Goaltender Rowan Cherkas made 34 saves in the loss.
Friday’s matchup in St. James saw a similar pattern as the Canucks outshot the Twisters 28–9 in the opening period and carried a 2–0 lead into the intermission. St. James struck four more times in the second and added two in the third. Defenceman Sawyer Leite scored Pembina Valley’s only goal of the night, stepping into a power-play shot for his first of the season. Riley Brown and Cherkas combined for 49 saves as the Canucks fired 57 shots. A flurry of penalties late in the game contributed to a rugged finish, including a fight and multiple misconducts on both sides.
The weekend results move Pembina Valley to 1–14–1 on the season as they continue searching for consistency.
The Twisters visit the Charleswood Hawks on Nov. 28 at Eric Coy Arena before returning home on Nov. 30 to host the Ft. Garry/Ft. Rouge Twins in Morris.
