Ontario Hockey Academy White (0) vs Bishop’s College (13) Eastern U17
Bishop’s College opened up the Eastern Championships with a bang, netting thirteen goals in the first game of the postseason. Thomas Dandurand (1G, 2A) got the scoring started just over a minute into play, igniting Bishop’s streak of terror on OHA White. Bishop’s would add another four in the first, five in the second and three in the third. Felix-Antoine Emond (11/11) stopped all 11-shots in goal for Bishop’s while Ivan Petrov (75/88) fended off 75-shots from the barrage of 88 he saw through sixty minutes. Only a single skater was left off the scoresheet for Bishop’s in their statement victory.
Okanagan Hockey Ontario (2) vs Ulysse Academie (3/SO) Eastern U18
No scoring would occur for the greater portion of this opening Eastern U18 contest. Kevin Podgurny (45/47) went a solid 16/16 in the first period, keeping OHO alive after being outshot by more than ten. The second period would also feature no scoring. OHO would have more of an emphasis on offence in this frame, but Ulysse’s Zachary Bergeron (22/24) was a perfect 9/9. The scoring would finally make its rounds in the third, with Anakin Bérubé getting Ulysse Academie on the board first. OHO would fire back with two of their own thanks to the efforts of Leonard Ess and Jordan Laroda. However, Lucas Loiacono would tie things up with only spare time left in the third, forcing an overtime and eventually a shootout. In the shootout, Maverick Roux-Paranteau would show off the stickhandling before burying on while Clément Valette successfully pulled off “The Kucherov” to put the pressure on. Bergeron would go on to stump both of OHO’s shooters, helping Ulysse secure their first win in the postseason.
Ulysse Academie (0) vs Champions Hockey Academy (3) Eastern U17
Charlie Morrison opened up the scoring for CHA late in the first after carrying an impressive amount of momentum through-and-through. The goal scoring would continue in the second period as Bryson Robinson and Lucas Stevenson scored just 1:38 apart. From this point out, Champions held down the fort and wouldn’t give Ulysse a sliver of hope, shutting down their offence with a lot of praise to goaltender Martin Hackenberg, racking up the shutout.
Ontario Hockey Academy Gold (1) vs Bourget College (6) Eastern U18
In the dying minutes of the first period, OHA Gold was able to squeeze in the game’s opening goal off the stick of William Thurlbert. OHA Gold would come into the second with this lead until the halfway point of the frame, where Bourget’s Lucas Gonçalves tied things up. Bourget would keep the pressure coming as Marc-Antoine Riopel nabbed his first of the playoffs with little time remaining in the period. Entering the third, Bourget took complete control after Oliver Bélanger scored one off the rush to extend Bourget’s lead. This lead would grow even more after Mathys Blanchette (2G) wired one home on the powerplay. Bourget’s lead would peak at five as they took the first game of their postseason with a score of 6-1 over OHA Gold. Jack Barrington (43/44) put up an impressive performance in the win, making 43-saves in the process.
King Heights Academy (2) vs CIH Academy Green (1) Eastern U17
After going winless in the regular season, King Heights has clasped on to their first win of the 2023/24 season. In a stunning performance, Justin Sullivan (46/47) was able to shut down CIH Green with a 46-save performance to give King Heights a 1-0-0 start to the postseason. CIH Green and King Heights traded goals in the first, but the goal that came in the second thanks to Timur Naurzbaev would go on to be the ultimate game winning marker.