Interlake talent set to clash in MJHL semifinals
Interlake hockey talent will be front and centre in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League semifinals, with six local players split between the Niverville Nighthawks and Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
Both teams advanced with commanding first-round sweeps and will now meet in a best-of-seven series, with a berth in the Turnbull Cup final on the line.
The Nighthawks punched their ticket with a four-game sweep of the Winkler Flyers, led by Interlake products Hayden Wheddon (Stonewall), Adam Vigfusson (Gimli) and Dawson Zeller (St. Andrews).
Zeller played a key role in the series, scoring twice in Game 2, including a shorthanded marker, while Wheddon and Vigfusson contributed in Game 3 as Niverville took a 3-0 series lead. Vigfusson, the team captain, capped the sweep with a two-goal performance in a 4-0 Game 4 win.
Goaltender Austin Dubinsky was also instrumental, turning aside 24 shots in both Games 2 and 3 before making 38 saves in a shutout performance in the clinching game.
Meanwhile, the Waywayseecappo Wolverines stunned the Dauphin Kings with a four-game sweep of their own, marking the franchise’s first trip to the semifinals.
The Wolverines feature their own trio of Interlake players in Noah Oughton (St. Laurent), Blake Farthing (Stonewall) and Ryder Kirk (Stonewall).
Waywayseecappo set the tone early in the series, jumping out to a 2-0 lead before securing a dramatic 3-2 double-overtime victory in Game 3 at Credit Union Place.
Back on home ice, Oughton opened the scoring in Game 4 — his first of the postseason — as the Wolverines completed the sweep with a 3-1 win in front of 850 fans at Waywayseecappo Arena Complex.
The semifinal matchup will guarantee that Interlake representation continues into the MJHL final, with players on both sides set to play key roles.
Niverville enters the series as the regular-season champion and will hold home-ice advantage, while Waywayseecappo finished third in the MGEU West Division but has already proven it can upset higher-ranked opponents.
The other semifinal will see the Steinbach Pistons take on the Virden Oil Capitals.
Semifinal schedules have yet to be released.
