The Portage Islanders sent the Carman Beavers a clear message Monday night: There is still a lot of hockey to be played.

Eric Delong scored twice as part of a seven-goal offensive outburst, as the Islanders downed Carman 7-2 in Game 3 of the South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League (SEMHL) semifinal series Monday night at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie. Carman leads the series 2-1.

“I think tonight was more of a game we wanted to play. I don't know why we didn't quite get to that level in the first couple of games,” says Delong. “Game on.”

Jordyn Boyd, Zack Waldvogel, Doug Lawrence, Tyler Harland and Dan Leslie also scored for Portage. Laurent Benjamin and Brock Vanderveen tallied for Carman.

The Islanders scored three unanswered goals in the first period after falling behind 1-0. Benjamin scored just over one minute into the game to give the visiting Beavers an early lead. Just prior to the midway mark of the first, Boyd and Waldvogel — alumni from the 2015 RBC Cup winning Portage Terriers — tallied goals 1:15 apart to put the Islanders ahead 2-1. Lawrence made it 3-1 with 1:39 to go in the first.

Delong and Harland added goals in the second period to stretch Portage's lead to 5-1. Then, after Leslie made it 6-1 midway through the third, Delong notched his second of the night and Portage's seventh unanswered goal with 5:49 remaining to put the hosts up 7-1. Vanderveen responded with a late power play goal for the Beavers.

The Islanders are hoping to carry the momentum into Game 4 Thursday, maybe even draw on reverse fortune from ghosts of past. Portage took a 2-0 series lead when the two teams met in the 2015-16 SEMHL semifinals, only to see Carman storm back and win four straight games.

The script is playing out in reverse heading into Game 4.

“I think we're two pretty evenly matched teams,” Delong says. “Last year was the same thing, a momentum series. We're hoping we can make (it happen) this year.”

Game 4 is set for 8 p.m., Thursday night in Carman. The series shifts back to Portage Saturday for Game 5.