LAC LA BICHE – The Portage College Voyageurs served notice to the rest of the ACAC Friday night that they aren't interested in ending their 2021-22 hockey journey without a fight. In a statement game at the Bold Center, the Voyageurs beat the league-leading Concordia Thunder 7-4 and kept their playoff hopes alive. Kaleb Bell and Shaye Sommerfeld each score twice while Jacob Gnidziejko made 34 saves – several of the stellar variety – as the Voyageurs notched their second win of the season and crept to within four points of idle Briercrest. Portage has two games in hand on their Saskatchewan counterparts.

Head Coach Kevin McClelland credited a determined effort and a full and healthy roster for the first time since the start of the season. "We've had four or five of our best guys out and we had some guys with Covid so when you take key guys out of your lineup it's always difficult, especially in a league of this calibre but tonight was the night we had everybody that we wanted in the lineup," he said. The Voyageurs stormed out the gates, silencing the Thunder in the first 12 minutes and racing to a 3-0 lead. To their credit, the first-place Thunder stayed in the game, thanks in large measure to their potent powerplay, which went three for five on the evening. Concordia crept to within a goal at the 6:43 mark of the third period but the Voyageurs quickly responded with two goals of their own to seal the deal. McClelland was pleased to see his troops bend but not break against a tough opponent.

"The guys were working on that because when a team got goals against us it would steamroll into a bigger lead for them or be a comeback for them but when these guys came back at us, the guys found another way to get another goal and retain that lead again," he said. The Voyageurs wrap up their regular season with four road games, starting with a rematch on Saturday against the Thunder. "We've just got to pretty much go in there tomorrow and win but take it one game at a time," said McClelland.  "If we could ever win that one tomorrow and go into Augustana and win that one, all of a sudden we tighten things right up and it comes down to the last two games in SAIT. Again, we've just got to make sure that we're ready to go tomorrow. That's a good hockey team that we played tonight. They'll be looking for retribution." 

Players of the Game

• Concordia: Rylan Nivon (2 assists)
• Portage: Jacob Gnidziejko (34 saves)