The Nepean Wildcats used a dominant second period to seize control of the game, defeating the Bluewater Hawks 5-2 on home ice. The opening frame was a tight, penalty-filled affair that saw both teams find the net. The Hawks struck first when Zoé Morin put the visitors ahead early. The Wildcats responded quickly, as Maggie Hughson, assisted by Rio Francis, tied the game before the period was out. The physical tone was set with three minors called, including a boarding call against the Hawks' Mathilda Moorehouse and a cross-checking penalty to Nepean's Nuala Gibbs.
The game's narrative shifted entirely in the middle frame, where the Wildcats unleashed a relentless 17-shot attack. They broke the deadlock on the power play, with Jaylee MacKinnon netting what would stand as the game-winner, assisted by Mallea McMullin and Kate Viel. Just over two minutes later, Sydney Semiga extended the lead, with Francis picking up his second helper of the night. The Hawks showed a brief spark when Jamie Ryall, set up by Olivia Thompson, cut the deficit to 3-2, but that was as close as they would get. The period was marred by five more penalties, with the Wildcats' Jordan Mulvihill taking two minors and the Hawks' Skylar Doxtator also heading to the box twice.
Any hope of a Hawks comeback was extinguished in the third period by the Wildcats' special teams and defensive resolve. On another power play, Mallea McMullin converted, with assists from Sydney Semiga and Kate Viel, to restore the two-goal cushion. Jaylee MacKinnon then put the game out of reach with her second goal of the night, assisted by Jordan Mulvihill. The Wildcats' defensive effort, backed by a strong team performance in net, limited the Hawks to just six shots in the final period and shut them out after the second. The game ended with a flurry of late penalties, including a head contact call against Nepean's Nuala Gibbs, but the Wildcats' early explosion proved insurmountable for Bluewater.
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