The Stars Hockey Academy and Northern HC treated fans to a wild, back-and-forth affair that saw the home team emerge with a 6-4 victory. The game got off to a physical start with six penalties called in the first period alone, setting a chippy tone. Stars forward Dane Swyripa capitalized on an early power play, opening the scoring with an assist from Griffin O'Reilly. The middle frame saw a flurry of action as George King tied it for Northern, only for the Stars to respond with three straight goals. Haci Karaibrahimovic, Conor Brand, and Swyripa again found the back of the net, with Brand and O'Reilly each picking up their second points of the night on the plays, giving the Stars a commanding 4-1 lead heading into the final period.
Northern HC refused to go quietly, mounting a fierce third-period comeback. On the power play, Benson Rae scored with helpers from Jaxon Fialkowski and Emerson Reed. Just over two minutes later, Fialkowski buried one himself, assisted by Rae, to cut the deficit to one. The game was suddenly up for grabs, but Dane Swyripa delivered the dagger, completing his hat trick with the game-winning goal to restore the Stars' two-goal cushion. Chaz Hall brought Northern back within one off another assist from Rae, but Stars captain Tred Gano sealed the deal with an empty-netter in the final two minutes, assisted by Beckham Alexander, to secure the 6-4 win.
Despite being outshot 21-20 over the final two periods, the Stars made their chances count, with Dane Swyripa’s hat trick and game-winner proving the difference. The game was marked by relentless physicality—15 penalties were called in total—but the Stars' special teams and timely scoring ultimately carried the day. For Northern, the duo of Benson Rae and Jaxon Fialkowski shone brightly in the third period, combining for two goals and three assists in their valiant comeback attempt that fell just short.
