The Aces Hockey Academy and Queen City Young Guns treated fans to a goal-filled spectacle, with the Aces ultimately prevailing 8-5 in a game defined by offensive surges and special teams play. The Aces set the tone early, capitalizing on a bench minor for too many players against the Young Guns. Nuno Machado opened the scoring at even strength, but the real damage came on the ensuing power play, where Riley Bresnahan converted a setup from Machado to make it 3-0. The Young Guns' Tucker Rudnitski managed to answer back, but Benson DeBlieck restored the three-goal cushion before the first intermission, giving the Aces a commanding 4-1 lead.
The second period saw the Young Guns mount a comeback attempt. Ledger Kachur scored early to cut the deficit, but the Aces' power play struck again, this time with Samuel Sims finding the net. Just 34 seconds later, Zachary Ewasiuk scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal, assisted by Blake Hodgins, pushing the lead to 6-2. The period was marred by a parade to the penalty box, with both teams combining for eight minors, including two trips by Hayden Wickenheiser and a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct calls that highlighted the growing frustration on the ice.
Any hopes of a Young Guns rally were quickly dashed in the third. Blake Hodgins scored for the Aces to make it 7-2, but Ledger Kachur was a bright spot for the visitors, completing a hat trick with two more goals in the frame. However, the Aces' power play remained lethal, with Nuno Machado netting his second of the game to keep the Young Guns at arm's length. A late power-play goal from Connor Macgillis for the Young Guns was merely a consolation, as the Aces' offensive firepower, led by multi-point nights from Machado, Hodgins, and Cash Smiley, was simply too much to overcome. In a game where goalie stats were not tracked, the sheer volume of shots—42 for the Aces to 26 for the Young Guns—told the story of relentless pressure and an offensive explosion from the home side.
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