The Spartan Hockey Academy came out firing on all cylinders, unleashing a relentless offensive attack that the Gorillas Hockey Academy struggled to contain throughout the contest. From the opening puck drop, the Spartans established dominance, outshooting the Gorillas 26-11 in the first period alone. Cohen Codner, wearing number 56, set the tone early, netting the game's first goal at 16:07 of the opening frame with helpers from Lawson Lieske and Stavros Warriner. The Gorillas managed to answer back late in the period when Ryder Akister found the back of the net at 3:21, but it was clear the Spartans' offensive pressure was just getting started.
The second period turned into a goal-scoring frenzy, largely controlled by the home team. The Gorillas briefly took a 2-1 lead when Staal Kurka scored early in the period, but the Spartans responded with an explosive five-goal outburst. Callum Sherban, Lawson Lieske, and Cohen Codner—who completed a hat-trick—all lit the lamp in a dominant stretch. The game-winning goal came off the stick of Lawson Lieske at 8:03, capping a remarkable period where the Spartans built an insurmountable 6-2 lead, with Smith Gillings adding a power-play marker in the final seconds.
Despite a late push from the Gorillas, who saw Ryder Akister score his second of the game early in the third, the Spartans' defense and goaltending held firm. The final frame was marred by a flurry of penalties, including a sequence that saw Cohen Codner and Kian Devji take unsportsmanlike conduct minors after an elbowing call. In the end, the Spartans' overwhelming shot advantage—58 to 29—and balanced scoring proved too much for the Gorillas to overcome, securing a decisive 6-3 victory for the home side.
