In a game that had everything from frantic end-to-end action to a dramatic power-play finish, the Savages edged the Nighthawks 5-4 in a heart-stopping overtime battle. The first period alone was a whirlwind of four goals, setting the stage for a back-and-forth affair that would not be decided until the extra frame. Alex Zwarich (#8) opened the scoring for the Savages at 10:53, burying a feed from Jarred White and Shaun Myskiw. The Nighthawks responded swiftly, with Lucas Lemieux (#2) evening the score at 8:06 off a pass from Adam Demchuk, but the Savages reclaimed the lead just 55 seconds later when Kayden Rawji (#96) found the back of the net. With time winding down in the period, Cameron Brezinski (#8) struck for the Nighthawks with just 24 seconds left on the clock, knotting the game at 2-2.
The second period saw the momentum swing again. Hudson Smith (#6) gave the Nighthawks their first lead of the night at 12:23, assisted by Demchuk and Brett Olson. However, the Savages’ Lee Jubinville (#10) answered back at 7:44, finishing a play set up by White and Cody Lunnin to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the third. The third period was a tense, defensive battle punctuated by two more goals. Rawji netted his second of the night at 11:32, with White again providing the assist, putting the Savages up 4-3. But the Nighthawks refused to quit, and Lucas Lemieux scored his second goal of the game at 8:14, with Alex Mack picking up the helper, to make it 4-4 and force overtime.
The game’s decisive moment came in the extra period. With the Nighthawks’ Jackson Krochak sitting in the box for a hooking minor, the Savages’ power play went to work. Kayden Rawji completed a sensational hat trick at 3:42, one-timing a pass from Jarred White and Lee Jubinville past Nighthawks goaltender Dan Bosch (#31) to seal the 5-4 victory. Goaltender Mike Bradley (#74) earned the win for the Savages, stopping 28 of 32 shots, while Bosch took the loss despite a valiant 33-save effort. Jarred White was the quiet architect for the Savages, racking up four assists, while Rawji’s hat trick will be the talk of the rink. The Nighthawks, led by Lemieux’s two goals, will rue the costly penalty that handed the Savages the extra-man opportunity.