The O2 Grizzlies stormed to a 10-6 victory over the Spartan Hockey Academy in a wild, penalty-filled affair that featured an offensive explosion from both sides. The tone was set early, with the Grizzlies striking first just over five minutes in as Ryan Farrell (#20) buried a feed from Nathaniel Noble (#3) and Hunter McCain (#19). The Spartans answered back quickly when Mason Piteau (#12) evened the score, but the Grizzlies' Farrell struck again less than a minute later to reclaim the lead. The first period became a special teams battle, with Spartan Colton Dobek (#17) scoring twice on the power play, sandwiching a Grizzlies goal from Spencer McFadden (#8). The period ended with the Grizzlies holding a narrow 4-3 lead after Ben Warren (#12) also capitalized with a man advantage.
The middle frame saw the Grizzlies begin to pull away, as Bennett Pfeiffer (#13) and Ben Warren each scored to extend the lead. Spencer McFadden netted his second of the game, which would ultimately stand as the game-winner. The Spartans showed a flicker of life when Drew Bateman (#34) found the back of the net late in the period, but the Grizzlies took a commanding 7-4 lead into the final intermission. The physical play continued, with penalties for slashing, roughing, and tripping keeping the penalty boxes busy throughout the period.
Any hopes of a Spartan comeback were dashed early in the third when Ellis May (#2) scored for the Grizzlies, followed quickly by another from Bennett Pfeiffer. The Spartans' Colton Dobek completed his hat trick with a power-play goal, but the Grizzlies' offense was simply relentless. Ellis May scored his second of the period on another power play, and Dobek added a late even-strength goal to complete a four-goal night, but it was merely a consolation in a game dominated by the Grizzlies' balanced attack. In a game where goalie stats were not officially tracked, the scoreboard told the story of an offensive clinic put on by the visiting O2 Grizzlies.
