The Interlake Lightning closed out their 2025-26 Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League regular season with one of their most explosive offensive performances of the year before dropping their final two contests.
Interlake Lightning defenceman Logan Jacobson leads the rush up ice against the Pembina Valley Hawks
Interlake finished the season 11th overall with a 13-34-1-2 record and 27 points in 48 games.
The Lightning opened their final week with a 10-7 victory over the Pembina Valley Hawks on Feb. 17 at Teulon-Rockwood Arena.
Ryder Kirk set the tone just 11 seconds into the game, scoring his ninth of the season off feeds from Thoren Corbett and Damon Marquart. Interlake built a 2-1 lead after the first period and pulled away with four goals in the second.
Madden van Kemenade scored twice, while Damon Marquart and Brody Huver also had two-goal performances. Marquart added two assists for a four-point night, while Huver chipped in a goal and an assist. Thoren Corbett and Branden Mickall each had a goal and an assist, and Jacob Keck rounded out the scoring.
Interlake led 6-2 after two periods before a chaotic third that saw Pembina Valley score four power-play goals. The Lightning responded with key tallies from Marquart and Huver, including two empty-net markers, to secure the win.
Goaltender Grayson McDonald turned aside 56 of 63 shots in the victory as the Hawks fired 38 shots in the third period alone.
The Lightning were unable to carry that momentum into Friday’s matchup, falling 3-1 to the Southwest Cougars on Feb. 20 in Teulon.
Prior to Friday’s game, the team honoured its graduating players in a pregame ceremony. Each player presented their mother with a bouquet of flowers and thanked their families for years of support throughout their hockey careers. Recognized were Ben den Teuling, Ryder Kirk, Corwyn Bear, Kyler Zulyniak and Mathias Sibilleau.
After trailing 1-0 through two periods, Sam Corbett tied the game early in the third, scoring his first of the season off a pass from Thoren Corbett. However, Southwest regained the lead midway through the frame and added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
McDonald made 26 saves on 28 shots in the loss, while Interlake was unable to convert on four power-play opportunities.
The regular season concluded Sunday in Steinbach, where the Lightning dropped a 4-2 decision to the Eastman Selects.
Branden Mickall and Corwyn Bear scored for Interlake, while McDonald again shouldered the load in net, stopping 40 of 44 shots. Eastman broke open a tight contest with two third-period goals, including a short-handed marker.
Despite the challenging season, the Lightning showed flashes of offensive firepower down the stretch and continued to compete against playoff-bound teams in their final weekend.
With the regular season complete, Interlake will now turn its focus to off-season development and building toward next year’s campaign.
