The Calgary Glaciers and Bow Valley Nationals delivered a tense, back-and-forth battle that came down to the final moments. The Nationals struck first, silencing the home crowd early. Charleigh McCulloch, wearing number 12, opened the scoring at 9:32 of the first period, assisted by Marlowe Stasiuk. The visitors doubled their lead just over eight minutes later when Klaire Hilliard (#10) found the back of the net, with helpers from Danica Mikan and Evra Slanisky. Despite being outshot 13-12 in the opening frame, the Glaciers found themselves in a 2-0 hole heading into the first intermission.
The second period saw the Glaciers mount their comeback, fueled by special teams. A power play opportunity proved crucial as Caitlin Duncan, wearing number 7, cut the deficit in half at 9:41, with assists from Hayley Durtnall and Ilse Leyerzapf. The momentum fully shifted in the dying seconds of the period. With just 13 ticks left on the clock, Jewels Kerr (#3) buried an even-strength goal, assisted by Peyton Krueger, to knot the game at 2-2 heading into the third. The period was a physical affair, with penalties to Molli Radford and Charly Butler for the Nationals keeping the penalty boxes busy.
The third period was a defensive chess match with both teams trading chances and penalties. The game appeared destined for overtime until the Glaciers broke through in the final minute. With the clock winding down, Abigail Mills (#14) became the hero, scoring the game-winning goal at even strength to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory for Calgary. The goaltenders were the unsung stars of this tight contest. Morgan Sloane (#33) turned away 35 of 37 shots for the Glaciers, while Laura Jelínková (#39) was stellar in the Nationals' net, making 30 saves on 33 shots in a hard-luck losing effort. The win was a testament to the Glaciers' resilience, battling back from an early two-goal deficit to claim a vital two points.
