The Mammoths emerged victorious with a 5-3 win over the Shooters in a game that featured plenty of offense, physicality, and a dramatic final period. From the opening faceoff, it was clear this would be a back-and-forth battle. The Shooters struck first just over a minute into the contest when Jayden Kinnee (#74) buried an even-strength goal, assisted by Chase Boyd (#2). The Mammoths answered quickly, as Mark Giroux (#83) evened the score at 8:19 of the first, with helpers from Mathew Barrett (#74) and Travis Kube (#39). The Mammoths seized the lead just over a minute later when James Clark (#22) scored, again with Giroux and Kube providing the assists. The period wasn’t done yet, as Jeric Amyotte (#14) of the Shooters tied the game at 2-2 with just over a minute remaining, assisted by Liam Carroll (#33). The first period ended in a 2-2 deadlock, setting the stage for a tense second frame.
The Shooters regained the lead early in the second period when Chase Boyd (#2) scored his first of the game at 10:46, with assists from Anthony Prakash (#94) and Connor Carroll (#12). The rest of the period saw the Mammoths kill off a tripping penalty to the Shooters’ Josh Dood (#16), but they couldn't find the equalizer until the final seconds. With just five seconds left before the intermission, Mark Giroux (#83) netted his second goal of the game, once again set up by Barrett (#74) and Kube (#39), sending the teams to the locker room tied 3-3. The third period brought a flurry of penalties and the decisive action. The Mammoths took the lead for good at 9:02 when Chad Keir (#91) scored, with Giroux picking up his fourth assist of the night. The game got chippy late, with a misconduct and minor penalty to Travis Kube (#39) and a slashing call to Keir creating a chaotic final few minutes. Despite the man advantage, the Shooters couldn't solve the Mammoths' defense, and they pulled their goalie in a desperate last push. The gamble backfired as James Griffin (#43) scored an empty-net goal with just 1:19 remaining, assisted by the ever-present Giroux, sealing the 5-3 victory for the Mammoths.