The Horsemen charged out of the gate and never looked back, delivering a commanding 8-2 victory over the Sharks in a game that was decided by sheer offensive firepower. The tone was set early when Devan Thandi ( #77 ) opened the scoring at 4:51 of the first period, capitalizing on crisp passes from Cameron Harding ( #20 ) and Johnathan Van Sickle-Kope ( #3 ). The Sharks, however, showed immediate resilience. Just 86 seconds later, Elias El-Houmairi ( #8 ) evened the score with help from Paul Ruivo ( #88 ) and Tyler Erick ( #7 ). But the Horsemen’s response was swift and decisive. Caden Blixa ( #55 ) restored the lead at 1:48, tipping home a feed from Lucas Finch ( #4 ) and Thandi, sending the visitors into the first intermission with a 2-1 advantage.
The second period belonged entirely to the Horsemen’s relentless attack. Nick Trefanenko ( #9 ) doubled the lead at 5:46 off setups from Blixa and Thandi, followed just 39 seconds later by Jett Hemmerling’s ( #11 ) first goal of the night, assisted by Harding and Billy Dorish ( #200 ). The Sharks attempted to stem the tide but were undone by penalties, including a holding-the-stick infraction on Jason Bui ( #19 ) that disrupted their rhythm. By the time the second period ended, the Horsemen had built a commanding 4-1 lead, with their forecheck suffocating any Sharks’ possession.
The third period was a full-blown onslaught. Lucas Finch ( #4 ) made it 5-1 at 12:35, before El-Houmairi notched his second of the game for the Sharks, but it was merely a footnote. Hemmerling completed his hat trick with goals at 9:37 and 2:47, the latter coming on a power play as the Sharks’ discipline collapsed completely. Kyla Gagnon ( #44 ) was handed a 10-minute misconduct for slashing in a sign of the team’s frustration. Thandi then capped the night with his second goal at 0:35, sealing the 8-2 final. The Horsemen outshot the Sharks 23-17, with Dorish earning the win in net despite facing minimal resistance, while Sharks goalie Kalvin Kozakewich ( #29 ) was left to face a relentless barrage. It was a night where the Horsemen’s depth and finishing prowess left no doubt about the outcome.