The Interlake Lightning put together an impressive three-game winning streak in early January, defeating the Norman Northstars twice in tightly contested games before finishing the stretch with a high-scoring win over the Kenora Thistles.
Interlake opened the stretch with a 3–2 overtime victory over Norman on Friday, Jan. 2 at Teulon-Rockwood Arena. The Northstars struck first midway through the opening period, but the Lightning gradually gained momentum, outshooting Norman 15–10 in the second frame.
Damon Marquart tied the game on the power play at 4:42 of the second period, converting a setup from Logan Jacobson and Ryder Kirk. Interlake continued to press and took its first lead late in the third when Kirk scored on another man-advantage at 11:38, finishing a passing play from Reid Toporoski and Marquart.
Norman answered back with a power-play goal of its own at 16:06 to force overtime, but the extra session was short-lived. Kirk struck again just 2:12 into overtime, finishing a rush to give the Lightning the win. Seth Schaeffer stopped 34 of 36 shots in goal as Interlake held a narrow 39–36 edge in shots.
The teams met again on Sunday, Jan. 4 in Arborg, where Interlake earned a 4–3 shootout win after another dramatic finish. The Lightning controlled much of the game early, outshooting Norman 31–20 through regulation and overtime.
Lucas Miller opened the scoring late in the first period before Kirk doubled the lead midway through the second on a setup from Damon Marquart and Mathias Sibilleau. Norman mounted a comeback in the third, scoring three unanswered goals — including two on the power play — to take a 3–2 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Interlake refused to go quietly. Brody Huver tied the game at 19:37 of the third with a power-play goal off passes from Kirk and Branden Mickall, forcing overtime. After a scoreless extra frame, Reid Toporoski scored the lone goal of the shootout to seal the win, while goaltender Grayson McDonald stopped all three Norman shooters after making 18 saves through regulation and overtime.
The Lightning wrapped up the three-game stretch with a 6–4 win over Kenora on Saturday, Jan. 10 at Teulon-Rockwood Arena, pulling away with a dominant third period. The teams traded chances early, with Interlake holding a slim 13–16 shot deficit after one despite the game being tied 2–2.
Thoren Corbett opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal just 1:50 into the game, and Corwyn Bear added another late in the first, but Kenora responded with a pair of goals, including a power-play marker in the final minute of the period. Mathias Sibilleau tied the game midway through the second before Kenora regained the lead on another power-play goal.
Interlake took over in the third, erupting for four goals while outshooting Kenora 17–14 in the final frame. Sibilleau scored his second of the night early in the period to even the game, followed by goals from Elijah Rempel and Brody Huver to swing momentum firmly in the Lightning’s favour. Kenora added a late goal, but Interlake closed out the win with strong defensive play down the stretch.
Seth Schaeffer made 34 saves in the victory as Interlake finished the night with a 46–38 edge in shots. Sibilleau led the Lightning with two goals, while Ryder Kirk and Branden Mickall each recorded two assists.
The three wins marked a strong start to January for the Lightning, who showed resilience in close games and depth scoring as they continue league play against Manitoba and northwestern Ontario opponents. Interlake remains 11th in the U18 AAA standings with an 8-21-1 record and 17 points, ahead of Norman and Kenora.
The Lightning return to action Wednesday, Jan. 14, on the road against the Winnipeg Thrashers, followed by road games in Dauphin against Parkland on Jan. 16 and a weekend back-to-back against Southwest in Souris on Jan. 17 and 18.
