The Neepawa Titans and Portage Terriers opened their 2026-27 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season by splitting a weekend home-and-home series, with each club earning a victory on the other’s ice.
The weekend began Saturday night in Neepawa, where the Portage Terriers spoiled the Titans’ home opener with a 5-2 victory. The win gave Portage its first triumph of the young season and handed Neepawa its first loss.
Less than 24 hours later, the rivalry shifted to Stride Place in Portage la Prairie for the Terriers’ home opener. The Neepawa Titans responded in dramatic fashion, earning a 4-3 overtime victory to salvage a split of the two-game set.
The Sunday contest belonged to Titans forward Addison McIntosh, who delivered one of the Titans’ most memorable performances of the opening weekend. McIntosh scored all four Neepawa goals, including the overtime winner just 1:57 into the extra frame. It’s the 1st time since 1996 that a Neepawa player scored 4 goals in a game.
Neepawa got off to a blazing start as McIntosh found the net twice in the opening two minutes, scoring at 1:26 and again at 1:51 of the first period to give the visitors an early 2-0 advantage. Both goals were assisted by Talen Wallis.
The Terriers battled back in the second period when Lucas Bailey scored at 6:28 to cut the deficit to one.
Portage appeared to have momentum in the third period after Hunter Dingman tied the game at 2-2, but McIntosh answered just 57 seconds later with a shorthanded marker to complete his hat trick and restore the Titans’ lead.
The Terriers refused to quit. With the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker, former Titan Tyler Wamboldt scored with just 25 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime and send the home crowd into a frenzy.
That excitement was short-lived, however, as McIntosh struck again in overtime to complete the four-goal night and secure the 4-3 win for Neepawa.
Goaltender Wyatt Nelson turned aside 38 shots to earn the victory for the Titans, while Mitch Kathler made 20 saves for the Terriers.
By weekend’s end, both clubs skated away with two points, as Portage claimed the opener 5-2 on Saturday and Neepawa answered with Sunday’s 4-3 overtime decision. The split leaves the long-time rivals even after the opening weekend of the MJHL campaign
