The Portage Terriers and Selkirk Steelers played their first of two weekend games at Stride Place Friday night and it was a close one from start to finish. When the dust settled, the Steelers won their fifth straight game when former Terrier Ryan Sokoloski scored on the power play in overtime to help his team pick up a 4-3 win and the two points.

Selkirk opened the scoring less than 4 minutes into the game when Colby Dudek slid his third of the year past Terrier netminder Ethan Peterson from the slot area. The leagues leading goal scorer Connor Barley would make it 2-0 later in the frame with a quick wrist shot over the shoulder of Peterson, his 15th of the year.

The second frame would see the Terriers score two quick ones 29 seconds apart from Joey Moffat (3) and Jacob Brown (6) but the game didn't stay tied for long. Brett Namaka would pot his 8th of the year before the frame was over and the Steelers led by one after 40.

The third period saw some good chances from both teams and it was Ocean Wiseblatt who would eventually tie the game with his first of the year at the mid-point of the frame. With the Terriers applying pressure late in the period, Wiseblatt picked up a 5 minute major penalty after an accidental high stick and the Steelers would finish the game on the power play. Thanks to some blocked shots and some great second efforts the Terriers would kill the first four minutes of that penalty and get the game to overtime but it didn't last long. Sokoloski would score on the 4 on 3 just 23 seconds into the extra frame to seal the win.

Terrier head coach and general manager Blake Spiller thought his team played well at times but didn't see the intensity he wanted. Spiller commented his young squad still needs to learn a sixty minute effort is needed every night if they want to compete with the top teams of the league. The Dogs do pick up a point for their efforts and with that move into a tie for top spot in the league with the idle Swan Valley Stampeders. The Stamps have however played two fewer games. The Steelers and Terriers wil do it all over again Saturday night, 7:30 also at Stride Place.