The O2 Grizzlies and Saints Pro Hockey Academy treated fans to a thrilling, back-and-forth offensive showcase that ended in a 5-5 tie, with the entire goal-scoring drama unfolding in a chaotic and penalty-filled final frame. The Saints struck first, with Ashton McAdam finding the net late in the opening period to give his team an early lead. That advantage doubled in the second when Bowen Herman scored for the Saints, but the Grizzlies answered back before intermission as Ben Warren, assisted by Cruz Todd and Nathaniel Noble, cut the deficit to 2-1 heading into the third.
The final period exploded with eight combined goals, turning the game into a special teams battle. The Saints' Greyson Hayes restored their two-goal lead early, but Ben Warren struck again on the power play, set up by William Fiander, to keep the Grizzlies close. The Saints responded in kind on their own man advantage, with Jace Filewich scoring off helpers from Colten Rice and Bowen Herman. The Grizzlies' Cruz Todd then netted a power-play goal, assisted by Blake Grudeski, before Ellis May tied the game at 4-4 with an even-strength tally from Spencer McFadden and Bennett Pfeiffer. The Saints' Matt Szybunka appeared to have won it with a late power-play goal, but with just over a minute remaining, Ben Warren completed his hat trick, assisted by Turner Johnson, to snatch a point for the Grizzlies in a dramatic finish.
The game was heavily influenced by penalties, with the teams combining for ten infractions. The third period was particularly chippy, featuring a bench minor for too many men on the Grizzlies and multiple penalties to Saints players Bowen Herman and Jace Filewich. Both goaltenders, Shaw Peters for the Grizzlies and Madden Tappauf for the Saints, faced a barrage of shots and ended the night with identical stat lines, each allowing five goals in a game where defensive stops were at a premium. In the end, the offensive firepower of both squads, led by Ben Warren's three-goal performance, ensured neither side could secure the victory in a wildly entertaining contest.
.png)
