The 14U AAA Calgary Rockies and Surrey Eagles HA delivered a tense, hard-fought contest that came down to a single power-play goal, with the home team prevailing 2-1. The game was a story of two contrasting styles: Surrey came out flying in the first period, outshooting the Rockies 12-11, but it was Calgary who struck first. Just over a minute into the game, Luke Baldwin, wearing #8, found the back of the net with an even-strength marker, assisted by #24 Zander Schultz. The period was a parade to the penalty box, with five minors called, including two for interference on Calgary's Schultz. Despite the early pressure and power plays, Surrey's Austin Wilson in net and Calgary's Reid Wetsch held firm, keeping the score 1-0 after twenty minutes.
The middle frame saw a dramatic shift in momentum. The Calgary Rockies dominated possession, unleashing a staggering 21 shots to Surrey's mere 5. However, it was the Eagles who capitalized on one of their few chances. At the 14:37 mark of the second period, Surrey's #5, Cristian Phillips, scored an even-strength goal, assisted by #77 Austin Liu, to knot the game at 1-1. The period featured more physical play, with Surrey's Liu taking a boarding minor and teammate D Ding (#11) called for cross-checking. Despite the Rockies' overwhelming shot advantage, Wilson stood tall in the Surrey crease, turning aside everything thrown his way to keep his team level heading into the final period.
The third period was a nail-biter, defined by special teams and a critical penalty. Surrey's discipline began to fray; Cristian Phillips was assessed a major penalty for an illegal check to the head and a misconduct, putting the Eagles down a man for an extended period. Although Calgary's Finn O'Hara served a bench minor for too many men, the Rockies finally broke through on the power play. With just over eight minutes remaining, at 11:21, #16 Dionysus Adrian buried the game-winning goal, set up by #13 Brixtin Cenaiko. Surrey pushed hard in the final minutes, outshooting Calgary 10-7, but Rockies netminder Reid Wetsch was perfect, stopping all 10 third-period shots to seal the victory. Wetsch finished with a stellar 26 saves for the win, while Austin Wilson was a standout in defeat, making an incredible 45 saves on 47 shots to keep the Eagles in the fight until the final buzzer.
14U AAA - HC Edmonton
14U AAA - Surrey Eagles HA
15U AAA - Bow Valley HC
15U AAA - Langley HA
