The Pembina Valley Hawks improved to 12-9 on the season after scoring four goals in the third period in a 6-2 win over the Central Plains Captials Wednesday night.

"We started off with a really big penalty kill. We had three and a half minute of a major left to kill and then we let the offence take over," said head coach Rylan Price about that third period. "We were able to get some more consistent lines on the ice, unlike we did in the second with so many penalty kills. Once we got to five-on-five play, I think we took over the game."

Reilly Funk scored the first of two Capitals goals on the night, 2:17 into the first period, with Zak Smith and Chance Dickerson drawing the helpers. Before the period was over the Hawks would take the lead, which they wouldn't relinquish. Dylan Dacquay got it started roughly two minutes after with a shorthanded goal. Sven Schefer drew the lone assist on the play. Then just over half way through the opening frame Kolton Shindle netted his first of two on the night, and seventh of the month.

"It's pretty good right now. I'm just going in every night hoping to get the two points with the team and it's working for me," said Shindle, who has 10 points in 10 games this month.

There was no scoring in the middle frame, but there was a fair amount of penalties including a five minute major for checking from behind assessed to Pembina Valley, which they finished killing off in the third period. The Hawks were 2-for-5 on the power play and were perfect on the PK all six times.

"I think we got our second goal of the game was on the power play," said Price. "Then (Cade) Kowalski had an absolute beauty goal on the power play as well there. I believe we scored short handed as well. If we can do that on our special teams every night. We'll have a good chance to win every night."

Shindle increased the Hawks lead to 3-1 with his second, with the help of Jayden McCarthy and Elijah Carels. After it was 3-1 the two teams tallied three times in the fourteenth minute of the period. At 14:03 Wyatt Cobb attempted to put the puck in front of the net, and it went of a Central Plains player and into the back of the net. Then just :18 seconds later Joey Moffatt shortened Pembina Valley's lead, and at 14:53 Carels busted down the right wing wall deked past the Capitals net-minder and potted his league leading 19th of the season. Kowalski added to the Hawks lead with a couple great deke's splitting a pair of Capital defenders and putting a back hard under the bar to make it 6-2.

Hawks goaltender Aaron Brunn  made 25 saves in the win, while Riley Sveistrup gave up all six goals on 25 shots.

"It's always nice to make those saves," said Brunn when asked about the break away saves. "I have to thank my team mates the played really well in front of me. They allowed me to see the pucks and I got a lot of help from my team tonight."

Pembina Valley will head to head to Kenora this weekend for a pair of games against the 7-11-1 Thistles.