The HDC Bandits and Stars Hockey Academy treated fans to a wild, back-and-forth offensive showcase that saw the Bandits escape with a nail-biting 8-7 victory. The game exploded early, with the teams combining for six goals in a frantic first period. The Bandits struck first when Patrick Catellier found the net, assisted by Colton Toner. The Stars answered quickly with Dane Swyripa scoring unassisted. Toner then scored one of his own, helped by Tanner King and Catellier, but Griffin O'Reilly tied it again for the Stars. Beckham Alexander put the Stars ahead, assisted by Maxton Modzelewski and Swyripa, before Modzelewski scored himself to give the Stars a 4-2 lead after one, despite being outshot 12-5.
The middle frame belonged to the Bandits, who roared back with three unanswered goals to take control. Henry Bradley started the comeback, assisted by Ethan Benson. Nathan Small then scored with help from Toner, and Benson netted one of his own to give the Bandits a 5-4 lead heading into the third. The penalty box saw plenty of traffic, with the Stars taking three minors in the period, disrupting their rhythm and allowing the Bandits to build momentum. The final period was a rollercoaster, starting with O'Reilly's second goal of the game tying it at five. Small answered for the Bandits, netting his second of the night to restore their lead, but Modzelewski struck again for the Stars to knot the score at six.
With the game on the line, Ethan Benson became the hero for the Bandits, scoring his second goal of the game with just over two minutes remaining to make it 7-6. The Stars showed incredible fight, as Haci Karaibrahimovic scored a mere 22 seconds later to tie the game at seven and send the home crowd into a frenzy. In the end, however, it was the Bandits who had the final answer, with Nathan Small completing his hat trick to seal the dramatic 8-7 win. Colton Toner was a force for the Bandits, finishing with a goal and three assists, while for the Stars, Griffin O'Reilly and Maxton Modzelewski each recorded multi-goal games in a valiant losing effort.
