The Knowlton Gnashers rode a dominant third period and a hat trick from #89 Mike Bangs to a 5-3 victory over the Rangers in a wild, back-and-forth contest. The Gnashers struck first, with Bangs opening the scoring at the 10:10 mark of the first period, assisted by #85 Seth Frizzell and #15 Pat Sweeney. Sweeney then extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal of his own at 3:06, with help from #92 Matthew Antoshchuk and #96 Dustin Robinson. But the Rangers clawed one back before the end of the period, as #63 Cody Lawson found the back of the net with just six seconds left on the clock, assisted by #17 Tyler Kirk and #22 Devon Chang, making it 2-1 after one.
The Rangers carried that momentum into the second period, tying the game at 2-2 when #91 Liam Gallagher scored at the 5:03 mark, with assists from #19 Justin Reid and Chang. The celebration was short-lived, however, as Bangs netted his second of the night just 84 seconds later, restoring the Gnashers' lead at 3-2 heading into the final frame. The third period saw the Rangers mount another comeback, with #77 Chris Tobin evening the score at 3-3 at the 5:22 mark, thanks to helpers from #89 Paul Gach and #11 Marcio Mendes. But the Gnashers had the answer once again. Bangs completed his hat trick with a goal at the 0:36 mark, assisted by Sweeney and #25 Shane Steinbring, putting Knowlton up 4-3. With the Rangers pressing and pulling their goalie for an extra attacker, #5 Seth Frizzell iced the game with an empty-net goal at 0:17, sealing the 5-3 win for the Gnashers.
Despite the loss, the Rangers showed resilience, battling back from two separate deficits. Goaltender #31 Owen Van Dyk faced a heavy workload, turning aside 24 of the 28 shots he faced in 38 minutes of work, while the Team Rangers goalie faced one shot in the final minute. For the Gnashers, #35 Jordan Thompson earned the win, making 17 saves on 20 shots. The physical play escalated late, with Reid serving a minor for tripping and Steinbring sitting for a body contact penalty, but neither team could capitalize on the man advantage. The Gnashers' balanced attack and Bangs' three-goal night proved to be the difference in an entertaining matchup.