The Portage College Voyageurs hockey team have secured themselves a spot in the Alberta College Athletics Conference playoffs for the third consecutive year, following their 5-2 victory over the Briercrest Clippers on Saturday at the Bold Center.
Until the third period the Voyageurs looked like they might repeat the loss of the night before, when they lost 3-2 to the Clippers.Down 2-1 at the end of the second, the Voyageurs came back in the third to score four unanswered goals, with Dustin Popowich besting the Briercrest goalie twice.
Popowich’s performance in the Saturday afternoon game, with two goals and an assist, were enough to earn him the title of Portage’s Athlete of the Week.
“Dustin has been the team’s number one centreman most of the season which is quite an accomplishment for the first-year Voyageur,” said head coach Terry Ewasiuk of the athlete who is currently fourth in scoring with 19 points, and tied for the lead in assists with 14.
The Voyageurs not only outscored the Clippers, they also outshot them, with the home town team taking 43 shots on net, compared to the Clipper’s 26 shots against.
The Voyageurs will be facing either NAIT or Augustana in the first round of playoffs, but before that they have to finish the regular season.
The next game is against NAIT on Feb 11 in Edmonton.