The Portage Terriers were defeated 4-2 on home ice tonight by Neepawa.

Halfway through the first period, Will Highet picked the puck off in the Terriers zone and quickly got it across to Rylan Gudnason who was in tight. He tried to sneak it past Terrier goalie Chris Fines but he was denied.

Roughly three minutes later, Jacob Piller brought the puck into the zone on a rush but waited for a trailing Peyton Gorski. He dished it to Gorski in the high slot and he ripped a shot on net but was stopped by the blocker of Dawson Green.

Near the four-minute mark in the frame, the Terriers were on the power-play. Tyler Dodgson made a great cross-ice pass from the point to Rhys Raeside down low and he put it toward the net and the puck hit Tyson McLean before going in. 1-0 Terriers.

With two minutes to go in the first, Brady Morrison intercepted a pass in the Terriers zone and immediately ripped a shot top shelf to tie the game at one.

A minute later, Cameron Hibbert picked the puck up along the boards in the offensive zone and dished it over to Gudnason who tapped it in. This put Neepawa up 2-1 after 20 minutes.

About seven minutes into the second, former Terrier Austin Clyne took a point shot during a Neepawa power-play that hit a few sticks before landing in the crease with Gudnason waiting on the doorstep. He made no mistake scoring his second of the night and gave Neepawa the two-goal lead.

With six minutes to go in the second, the Terriers were on the penalty kill and Kian Calder cleared the puck all the way down the ice and it went toward the net hitting Green's stick. The puck rolled out near the blueline where Raeside beat the Neepawa defenders to the puck. He found himself on a partial breakaway and put it over the glove of Green and brought the Terriers within one.

Both teams had a few chances in the third including a two-minute stretch of 4-on-4 play beginning with just 3:37 left in the game, however, that was all the offence that would come, other than an empty netter from Neepawa. This made the final score 4-2 Neepawa.

Defenceman Tyler Dodgson outlines what they could've done better tonight.

"I think we just have to stay more defensive-minded in our own zone," says Dodgson. "We have to come back to support our teammates and just try to make plays."

Forward Tyson McLean says they'll have to come out stronger on Friday.

"We have to come out ready from the start," McLean explains. "We have to do the little things like get into their blue line and getting it out across our blue line. Just little things. We're going to hone in on them in practice this week and we'll be better on Friday."

The Dogs will try and re-take the lead in this four-game series with Neepawa on Friday, October 30th back at Stride Place.