Fort Erie International Academy (0) vs BWC Academy (6) EWC
Demitry Gikas (27/33) kept Fort Erie afloat in the first, making 7 key stops in the opening frame to keep the score knotted a 0-0. However, BWC Academy would come alive in the second after Keagan Lundie pounced on a rebound for the first ever East West Challenge goal. A few minutes later, Dominic Seminoff (3G) would slide another rebound into the empty cage to double BWC Academy’s advantage. BWC Academy would run off with it in the third after Seminoff potted his second of the game in gorgeous fashion. Seminoff would polish off the natural hat-trick soon after while Charlie Robinson (1G, 1A) and Logan Lepinski (1G, 3A) buried the next pair. Josh Wu (26/26) would make a handful of big saves late in the third, keeping his shutout intact as BWC Academy takes game one.
Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (5/SO) vs Bourget College (4) EWC
Following a scoreless first, Christophe Potvin (1G, 1A) and Antoine Grenier (1G, 1A) would strike 25-seconds apart to put Bourget College up by a pair. Soon after, Parson Shahi (2G) would get the Sea Devils back to within one. PCHA would ramp up the pressure following Shahi’s tally, resulting in the game tying goal coming off Grady Veary’s (1G, 1A) stick with less than a minute to go in the frame. The action would take off in the third as Shahi buried the go-ahead goal for PCHA to hand them their first lead of the match. But Elie Robert (1G, 1A) would tie it up soon after just as Bourget’s powerplay expired. Under a minute later, a seeing eye point shot from Declan Andrews would get past Zachary Botelho (21/25) to once again restore PCHA’s lead. However, in the final few minutes of play Keifer Pion-Robin would score one of the goals of the event, splitting the defense with a toe drag before roofing a backhander, forcing overtime. In the final seconds of the extra frame, Botelho would stone Elliott Hill in tight with a miraculous glove save, keeping Bourget’s chances alive for the shootout. The Sea Devils would take control in the shootout as Shahi and Veary would both score, capping off a nail-biting victory for the Sea Devils. Parker Parrish (22/26) stopped both Bourget shooters in the shootout and made 22-saves through 65-minutes.
Pilot Mound Hockey Academy (5) vs Ontario Hockey Academy (1) EWC
Austin Jefferies (2G, 1A) opened the scoring 2:20 in as the seventh seed Pilot Mound grabbed an early 1-0 lead. Simon Leblanc (1G) tied the game 1:12 later to even the score. Knox Burton (4A) would go end-to-end late in the period and setup Hector Kapitonov (1G) for the back door one-timer to restore the Pilot Mound lead with eight seconds left in the frame. Luke Adam (1G) gave Pilot Mound some breathing room midway through the second before a great individual effort by Nolan Harding (1G) saw him beat Nicolas Arcilla (31/36) high blocker side with 47 seconds left in the period, increasing their advantage to 4-1. Jefferies added an early third period marker and Zackary David (26/27) finished with 26 saves as Pilot Mound starts the East West Challenge with a 5-1 win.
Okanagan Hockey Academy (5/SO) vs Ulysse Academie (4) EWC
Thursday’s Featured Game did not disappoint as OHA Penticton and Ulysse checked all the boxes for a thrilling game. Maxx Parfitt would ignite the scoring for OHA early on, blasting home a one-timer less than two minutes in. Giuliano Stagno (2G) would later tie the game in the first with a blistering wrist shot, but Marcus Domhof (2G) would restore OHA’s advantage soon after. With less than a minute to go in the first, Eliott Guevin would put away a beautiful goal on a solo effort, tying things at 2-2 before the ice clean. Things would slow down in the second as Ben Fragle would score the frame’s lone goal on a rebound in close, putting OHA back in front. Domhof would do the same early in the third, extending OHA’s lead to two. However, Ulysse would come back swinging. Stagno would label another one top left, bringing Ulysse back to within one. Then on a powerplay, Xavier Duchesneau would deflect home a perfect feed from Sam-Felix Poulin, tying this game up and forcing overtime. OHA would end the extra frame on the man advantage but could not find an answer for Samuel Bourgoin (37/41). In our second shootout of the day, it all came down to OHA’s Trey Tourigny as he scored the lone goal in the shootout in the final round, securing the victory and upsetting Ulysse on their home ice.
Delta Hockey Academy (2) vs Stanstead College (0) EWC
Delta Academy was able to shutout one of the top ranked teams from the Eastern U18 Prep division. In this win, Matthew Wong (44/44) posted a forty-four-save shutout making key saves in big moments in the third period on the penalty kill. Jack Morgan (1G, 1A) and Bryson Roberts (1G) where the two goal scorers for Delta, both goals were scored in the middle frame. Morgan even contributed on both goals to showcase both his scoring and playmaking ability.
RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (6) vs Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (2) U17 Prep
A four-goal outing in the first period by RHA Kelowna capped off a routine victory for their U17 Prep squad. Defenseman Nixon Whieldon (3G) led the charge with a hat-trick performance while Carter Bell scored his first of the season for the eventual game winner. AJ Boyd and Owen Hyde would get on the scoresheet for PCHA in the loss.
Rothesay Netherwood School (4) vs Edge School (7) EWC
RNS would strike first in their tilt with Edge School. Jesse Dunlap would spring Kilian Alves Pereira (1G, 1A) onto a breakaway with an impressive stretch pass. That lead was short-lived as Edge School would pot a handful of their own. Moose Jaw Warriors prospect Charlie Tobin (1G, 1A) and Luke Huska (2G) would score on breakaways of their own before Finn Howes (3G) wired home their third. Edge would add another pair of goals in the second but Will Cole would keep RNS afloat with their second goal. RNS would come close in the third despite allowing another early tally. Cameron Spurrell (1G, 1A) and Joaquin Cadiz would bury two less than two minutes apart. With their net empty, Howes would finish his hat-trick and thwart an RNS comeback.
Okanagan Hockey Ontario (1) vs South Alberta Hockey Academy (8) EWC
Seven separate goal scorers graced the scoresheet in SAHA’s dominant opening win at the East West Challenge. Aidan Poulin (2G, 1A) would lead the way with a three points outing while Ty Hynes (2A) and Devin Pelletier (2A) each nabbed a pair of assists. Hunter Zawislak (11/12) came one save shy of the shutout as he was beaten by a Kenton Wong powerplay goal in the second period.
Notre Dame Hounds (0) vs Prairie Hockey Academy (5) U18 Prep
After outshooting Notre Dame 17-6 in the opening frame, it was Jaxon Nicol breaking the ice at the end of the frame shorthanded. Notre Dame would commit a double minor after Nicol’s goal and on the ensuing powerplay to start the second, Liam Kilfoil (1G, 1A) and Brady Keith (2G, 1A) would score back-to-back powerplay goals in only 19-seconds. Prairie would add another two to close out their evening while Drake Mooney (29/29) posted 29 saves for his third shutout of the season.
