After dropping the first two games of the South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League's (SEMHL) best-of-seven final series the Notre Dame Hawks have rattled off three straight victories and now lead the series 3 games to 2, after a 3-1 win in game five.

"It was getting our full lineup back and everyone feeling each other out with the new lines we had out there. Also, the intensity level. In game three we knew right away that it picked up right away and we had a hard forecheck and everything," said Hawks' forward Chris Prejet, who would score the game winner.

Steve Clark continued his great post-season with his 11th goal of the campaign on the power play to put his team up 1-0, with Brody Chabbert and Matt Gingera picking up the helpers on the play. Just over a minute later the Islanders would reply after Anders Strome passed it to Dan Leslie in the slot and he beat Notre Dame netminder Brett Timmerman low glove side to tie the game. The other assist belonged to Brendan Blight.

"Obviously we were pretty frustrated with how that ended. I think we worked really hard but just couldn't seem to get a bounce. We had our chances. They (Notre Dame) is going to work hard every night and we know what to expect out of them," said Portage Captain Strome. "We just have to bring the same effort tomorrow and hopefully we can get a few more pucks to the net and bury a few early."

Before the opening twenty was over Chris Prejet whacked home a loose puck in front of Mitch Wiebe who made 25 saves in the loss, to make it 2-1.

After a back and forth second period, the visiting Islanders skated into the third period down by one and put forth a good effort, but weren't able to get pucks past the sprawling Hawks, who were laying it on the line to keep the puck out of their net.

Timmerman kicked aside 27 of the 28 shots the Islanders rifled his way in the win.

Notre Dame would end up scoring an empty net goal when Jean Prejet attempted to clear the puck out of his zone and it caught an edge and found the open cage with just over a minute left in the third.

The Hawks look to end a twelve-year drought and the Islanders look to force a game seven Sunday afternoon in Portage at 7:45 p.m.