Niverville Nighthawks optimistic heading into stretch run

Heading into the final month of regular season action in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, the Niverville Nighthawks are in familiar territory.

The Nighthawks are currently in fourth in the league’s East Division standings, looking to hold off a late charge from the Selkirk Steelers.

That is the exact same situation the team has been in the first two years of play as well.

Despite the similarities, the team is feeling different about their chances this year. Instead of spiraling into a massive losing streak at the turn of the new year, Niverville is rocking a five-game winning streak and instead of the Steelers breathing down their neck, the Nighthawks enjoy a comfortable 12-point advantage over their fifth-place rivals.

“The guys obviously know that Selkirk is pushing behind us here, but it’s a situation where we’re looking out the front windshield not looking in the rearview right now,” head coach Dwight Hirst said, noting the team is hoping to catch one of Winkler, Steinbach or Portage to improve their seeding for the playoffs.

“We’re looking to catch those teams ahead of us… It’s a division where anyone can be in any placement within the remainder of the season.”

Hirst was hired on around this time last year in the middle of that massive losing skid, replacing Kelvin Cech as the team’s head coach. There seems to be no such negative vibes on the ice for this edition of the Nighthawks.

Included in this recent run of play are solid wins over Portage and West Division leaders Dauphin. The Nighthawks dominated the Kings in Niverville Feb. 8, picking up a convincing 4-0 victory.

Adam Vigfusson scored a back-breaking goal late in the first period to give Niverville a 2-0 lead they never looked in danger of losing. Matteo Speranza made a great read at the offensive blue line, stepping right in front of an attempted breakout pass and somehow keeping the puck onside for Luke Mackenzie to feed right to Vigfusson in the slot for a rocket goal.

The following night Niverville hosted the Winnipeg Freeze right as the Super Bowl was taking place. The 430 fans who took in the Nighthawks game over the Super Bowl made the right choice, watching the home side take a convincing 5-2 victory.

Hirst said the team has been solid at following the principles he hoped to install at the beginning of training camp this season.

“Let’s make sure we’re stacking our days on top of each other, and putting our practices together on top of each other and continually getting better every day,” Hirst said.

“I think from the beginning of the year to this point of the year there’s been some big strides just in our maturity of our game and understanding where we’re at and what we need to do.”

Hirst was focused on practice, noting how the team approaches practice in this final month of regular season action should determine their ultimate playoff fate. In the last two years, the Nighthawks have went 1-8 against top seeds in the first round of the playoffs.

“This is your opportunity to play at this level,” Hirst responded when asked what the coaching staff’s message to the players would be to keep them motivated day in, day out.

“There’s kids out there that would gladly take your spot if you didn’t want to be here… This is what you signed up as a junior A player, is these dog days… Sometimes the season gets hung out and dried out and that’s what you play hockey for.”

While Hirst said there were plenty of hard-workers in practice, he gave kudos to Landmark’s Bryce Warkentine. He not only suits up for the Nighthawks, but is also involved with his family business.

“(Warkentine) puts in a work day before he even gets to the rink,” Hirst said.

“If I could put him into a clone machine and clone two more of him, it would be an aptitude this team would love to have… He can drag you into the fight even on your darkest days.”

On the injury front, Hirst reported Ty Kennett and Holdin Getzlaf should be in the line-up soon, while Luke Wagner should be back for the beginning of March.

It’s a tough remaining 15 games for Niverville, with just two games against basement-dwellers in the Winnipeg Freeze and Swan Valley Stampeders.

Included in this final stretch are three games against Dauphin, three games against Portage and a single game against East Division leading Winkler.

All eyes should be on the March 8 match-up in Selkirk. If the Steelers want to get back in the playoff race, a result there is necessary.

For more MJHL coverage including game recaps, standings and statistics, be sure to pick up a print edition of The Carillon every week.