The Pine Riders skated to a 3-1 victory over the Spartans in a game that was far tighter than the final score indicated, highlighted by a dominant opening period and a late empty-net dagger. From the opening puck drop, the Riders controlled the pace, outshooting the Spartans 18-14 in the first frame alone. It was Jonathan Bradley (#86) who broke the ice at the 9:07 mark, capitalizing on a smooth setup from Jonas Hardie (#2) to give the Riders a 1-0 lead. Despite the offensive pressure, the Riders couldn’t build on the lead before the first intermission, as the Spartans’ defense, anchored by goalie David Nguyen (#29), held the fort.
The Spartans found their equalizer with just 13 seconds left in the first period. A crisp passing play from Eric Huynh (#96) and Phil Ma (#0) found Terry Bennett (#21), who buried it past Theodore Graus (#35) to send the teams to the locker room tied at 1-1. The second period was a defensive stalemate, with neither team able to find the back of the net, setting the stage for a dramatic final frame.
The turning point came early in the third period. Just 10:16 in, Jonas Hardie (#2) notched his second point of the night, this time finding the net himself with the help of Ben Lightfoot (#97) to give the Riders a 2-1 lead. The Spartans pressed hard for an equalizer, but their comeback hopes took a hit when Braydon Hardie (#66) was sent to the box for tripping at the 9:24 mark. The Riders killed off the penalty effectively, and with the Spartans pulling their goalie for an extra attacker in the final minute, Linden Uriend (#91) sealed the win. Uriend fired a shot into the empty net at the 0:29 mark, with assists from Braydon Hardie (#66) and Jonas Hardie (#2). Graus was solid in net for the win, stopping all 14 shots he faced, while Nguyen made 30 saves in a losing effort for the Spartans.