Niverville dominates Thunder Bay, moves to 2-0 at Centennial Cup

The Niverville Nighthawks may have started their second game at the Centennial Cup at 10 a.m. on their body clocks, but the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions were still dancing All Night Long.

The team has made the Lionel Ritchie 80s anthem their goal song this season, even making a custom cardboard cutout of the singer to display at their home games after goals. Despite starting their game in the morning May 9, the Nighthawks managed to get it to play seven times over the loudspeakers at Credit Union Place in Summerside, P.E.I. during a dominating win over the Superior International Junior Hockey League champion Thunder Bay North Stars.

The Nighthawks scored three goals in a six minute span in the first period to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 advantage, en route to a 7-2 blowout they never looked in danger of losing. Niverville out-shot Thunder Bay 41-17 in the contest.

“That’s been the motto for us all season, not to get too high, not to get too low,” Nighthawks head coach Dwight Hirst said when asked about his team’s strong response to the equalizing goal.

“That’s just what hockey is. Sometimes you’re going to chase it, sometimes you’re going to own it. When you get scored on it’s about moving forward and looking at the next shift ahead of us.”

Niverville captain Adam Vigfusson found the back of the net twice for the MJHL champions, including a deflected goal off the rush to open the scoring five minutes into the opening frame. He was named the team’s player of the game.

Parker Rolston gave the Nighthawks the lead for good in the first, banging home a rebound after a point shot from Jase Konecsni took multiple deflections before the puck made it to goaltender Morgan Blackwood. Blackwood made the initial stop, but was left vulnerable as Calyb Moore was hooked to the ice at the top of the crease, falling into the North Stars goaltender.

The final score of the game was set in the final three minutes of the second period.

Dawson Zeller and Kole Mears tallied after Rolston, forcing a time-out from the North Stars to stop the bleeding. Thunder Bay nearly upset Alberta champions Canmore yesterday.

Hirst said the Nighthawks coaching staff has emphasized the need to “not tiptoe into hockey games,” all season.

“It’s a good feeling to have a group of players like that, just standing on the bench behind them knowing they’ve bought into the systems and the structure we’ve instituted all season,” Hirst said.

“We keep talking about being a hockey team that continues to put pucks into space and chase it, make it a footrace and push pace where there’s no space.”

Both goals came in tight after some great puck movement left up the Nighthawks forwards with plenty of space in tight on the goalie.

Vigfusson said the team was now used to the routines and ice surface inside a new building after some long travel days.

“It’s definitely a little tough getting back into the swing of things, especially when the last game we played was two weeks ago,” he said.

“We have our legs under us now, we’re feeling good.”

The victory moved Niverville to 2-0 and to the top of the Group A standings at the national junior A championship, after defeating hosts Summerside May 7 5-4 in overtime to open their tournament.

The top three teams from both Group A and B will make the playoffs, with the first-place finisher earning a direct spot in the semi-finals May 16.

“I think the team’s settling in nicely,” Vigfusson said.

“It’s good to be up 2-0, and we’re ready to rock.”

The Nighthawks dominated the Manitoba league this season, becoming the first team to finish with more than 100 points since the COVID-19 pandemic while scoring the most goals and giving up the fewest across the MJHL regular season. They went 12-1 in the playoffs, sweeping Virden in the finals. The final game before the Centennial Cup came April 23.

“It just feels good to get back and play hockey again,” Hirst said.

The Nighthawks will get a couple days off, as they’ll next be in action when they take on Canmore May 12. Puck drop for that game will be at 2 p.m. Manitoba time. Smitty’s in Niverville are hosting watch-parties for their home-town team. Nearly 100 fans from the Manitoba town are in Summerside, with more expected to arrive as the tournament continues.