The Sauce Hockey Academy and Stars Hockey Academy treated fans to a high-octane, back-and-forth affair that saw the home team ultimately prevail 4-3. The game exploded into life in the first period with a flurry of goals. Sauce opened the scoring early when Demetri Tsoulamanis found the net, assisted by Brody Wilson. The Stars responded quickly, with Beckham Alexander tying the game just minutes later, set up by Walker Westgate. Jacob Antignani then put Sauce back in front with an unassisted effort, only for Dane Swyripa to answer for the Stars, assisted by Griffin O'Reilly, sending the teams into the first intermission deadlocked at 2-2.
The second period saw the momentum continue to swing. Stars captain Griffin O'Reilly gave his team their first lead of the night with an unassisted goal in the opening minute. However, Sauce's Demetri Tsoulamanis wasn't finished, netting his second goal of the game to knot the score at 3-3. Both teams traded chances, with Sauce holding a slight edge in shots, but neither could break the deadlock before the second horn. The stage was set for a dramatic final frame.
The third period was a tense, defensive battle as both sides pushed for the go-ahead goal. It was Sauce Hockey Academy who finally broke through. With just over five minutes remaining, Brody Wilson, who had earlier registered an assist, became the hero by firing home the game-winning goal. Despite a late push from the Stars, who outshot Sauce in the period, the home defense and goaltending held firm to secure a hard-fought 4-3 victory in a contest that showcased the skill and resilience of both academy squads.