LAC LA BICHE – Sometimes losses come with a silver lining. Sometimes, like Saturday night at the Bold Center, there is no strontium to be found. Just ask the Portage College Voyageurs. 

"That was probably our worst game of the year," said Head Coach Kevin McClelland, moments after his troops lost 4-2 to the visiting Augustana Vikings. "We had not a lot of jump and didn't have a lot of emotion."

The Voyageurs grabbed a first-period lead on Logan Spence's second marker of the season but were unable to add to it, thanks in part to an ineffective powerplay. After Tanner Manz and Brendan Guignard potted goals to give the Vikings the lead, Portage's Player of the Game Spencer Kennedy tied to score early in the third on a beautiful rush and hope was back in the building….for about five minutes. As has been the case a few times this year, a late penalty cost the Voyageurs, with Kyle Ford notching the eventual game winner a few seconds into the powerplay. Vikings' Player of the Game Owen Lamb added an empty netter to seal the deal.

For McClelland, the familiar script is getting frustrating, particularly given that his squad's special teams have been anything but special this season. He noted that Augustana beat the Voyageurs in the exact same fashion in late November, scoring a powerplay goal in a 2-2 third period hockey game.

"We took two steps backwards tonight as far as I'm concerned," he said. "Our powerplay is killing us. I mean we've had opportunities to win three or four games right now but our powerplay does nothing. And in a 2-2 hockey game where we have the majority of the powerplays and then they get a call it takes them 10 seconds to get the game winning goal…Our powerplay needs to step up."

The Voyageurs will try to turn the tide next weekend with a double header against Briercrest at the Bold Center, Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.

Players of the Game

• Augustana: Owen Lamb (1 goal, 1 assist)
• Portage: Spencer Kennedy (1 goal)