Blaine SHOW Showcase Day One Wraps With Exciting Action Across All Divisions

Day one of the Blaine SHOW Showcase is complete, featuring competitive matchups across the 14U, 16U, and 18U divisions. Teams set the tone early with strong performances throughout the day. Click here for full game results. 

18U: 

With just one game on the Friday schedule, the 18U division opened with a matchup between the Orland Park Vikings and Lafayette Locomotives. The opener set the tone early, needing overtime to decide a winner. After a scoreless first period, Lafayette struck first as Bridger Laychak opened the scoring early in the second. The 1–0 lead held until midway through the third, when Chase Magolan banked one home for Orland Park to even the score. Lucas Wiese ended the game in overtime, scoring with 1:14 left to lift the Locomotives to a 2–1 win.

16U:

Team Wyoming opened the event with a pair of wins, defeating the Ontario Empire and California Heat. In their opener against the Empire, Wyoming trailed 1–0 after the first period but responded with a strong second, scoring all four of their goals in a 4–1 victory. Four different players found the back of the net, with leading scorer Cash Feuz recording a pair of assists.

That momentum continued into game two, where Wyoming earned a 4–3 win over the California Heat. Both teams traded goals in the first period before Wyoming took control in the second, scoring back -to-back goals, including Brody Gilbert’s second of the game, but California answered late in the period to make it 3–2 heading into the third. The Heat tied the game early in the final frame, but Cody Lang netted his second of the night with 11:08 remaining in the game to secure the win for Wyoming.

Like Team Wyoming, the St. Louis Sting enjoyed a strong day one, sweeping the day with wins over the Texas Heat and Anaheim Jr. Ducks. The Sting opened the event with a dominant 7–0 victory over the Heat, highlighted by a hat trick from Carson Bextermueller.

Game two against the Jr. Ducks was much tighter. Anaheim opened the scoring on a goal from Cole Labbe, and the 1–0 lead held through the first two periods. St. Louis took control in the third, scoring three unanswered goals to complete the comeback. William Peterson netted the first and third goals for the Sting, while Carson Bextermueller scored the game-winner, giving him four goals on the day.

14U:

The Oakland Bears made an early statement on Day One, earning their first SHOW season win with a 3–0 victory over the Jacksonville Jr. Icemen. After a scoreless first period, Griffin Landfair opened the scoring with the lone goal of the second. The Bears added two more in the third, with Mia Bellomo and Rex Omana finding the back of the net. Omana was a standout, assisting on both earlier goals to finish with three points.

Oakland’s penalty kill was dominant, keeping Jacksonville off the board on seven power play opportunities. In net, Mark Premo-Hopkins was a brick wall, stopping all 34 shots he faced and earning a flawless shutout to anchor the Bears’ win

Golden State Elite and the SISU Thunderbirds battled in a shootout thriller, with Golden State pulling out a 3–2 victory. Johnny Carley gave SISU the early lead as they led 1-0 after the first. Aaron Zetter tied it for Golden State early in the second, but the Thunderbirds regained the lead with just 54 seconds left in the period, heading into the third up 2–1.

Golden State struck early in the third as Flynn Grant evened the score at 2–2, sending the game to overtime. Neither team could find the winner in the extra period, and the game was ultimately decided in the shootout, where Grant struck again to give Golden State the victory.