The Langley Leafs - Major escaped with a narrow 4-3 victory over the Victoria Hockey Academy in a back-and-forth contest defined by special teams and a late push. The game opened at a frantic pace, with Langley striking first. Cienna Manhas, wearing number 8, found the back of the net midway through the first period, assisted by Zoe Alook and Olivia Bath. Victoria responded quickly, as Asha Vashisht, number 19, tied the game just over two minutes later with help from Reese Simons. The Leafs regained the lead before the period ended, with Meeya Gerbrandt, number 88, converting a setup from Nicola Levesque. The first frame was also marked by physical play, as a scrum at the 4:27 mark resulted in three simultaneous minors, setting a combative tone for the night.
The middle period saw no scoring but plenty of penalty-box traffic, with both teams taking turns on the power play. Victoria's Jane Mann and Avery Loudoun took minors for the home side, while Langley's Peyton Burns and Taelyn Franklin were also sent off. Despite the man-advantage opportunities, the goaltenders stood tall. Langley's Nyla Sochan and Victoria's Lauren Coppinger turned aside all shots they faced in the period, keeping it a one-goal game heading into the final frame.
The third period erupted with three goals in a dramatic finish. Victoria's Addison Rutten, number 91, tied the game at 2-2 early in the period, assisted by Maddison Ruddick. Langley answered back just over three minutes later, as Abbie Labelle, number 5, restored the Leafs' lead, again with an assist from the playmaking Nicola Levesque. With time winding down and on a power play after a cross-checking penalty to Claire Pederson, Victoria pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. The gamble paid off as Nahla Martiniuk, number 18, slammed home a power-play goal with assists from Delaney Wade and Starlee Pincombe to tie the game at 3-3 with just over two minutes to play. However, Langley had the final say, netting the game-winner shortly after to seal the 4-3 victory. The game was a goaltending duel in the stats, with both Nyla Sochan and Lauren Coppinger credited with shutouts based on the official tracking, a testament to their key saves at even strength despite the final score.
