In a defensive battle that saw the Maple Leafs - U13 dominate the shot clock, the U13 BRONCOS managed to secure a hard-fought 1-1 tie. The story of the game was written in the crease, as both goaltenders, Emmett MacDonald for the Broncos and Andrew Habkirk for the Maple Leafs, were credited with shutouts according to the official stats, though the scoreboard told a different tale of a single goal allowed each. The Maple Leafs came out firing in the first period, unleashing a barrage of 24 shots on MacDonald, but the Broncos' netminder stood tall, turning away every attempt to keep the game scoreless through twenty minutes.
The deadlock was finally broken in the second period, but not without controversy. Just moments after Broncos' Avery McLachlan was sent off for a high-sticking double minor, the Maple Leafs capitalized on the power play. Alexander King, wearing number 13, found the back of the net with an assist from Ellis Safranka to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Broncos' penalty kill was tested again in the third when Russell Elliott took a cross-checking minor, but they managed to kill it off and find their equalizer. Midway through the final frame, Alessio Virga, an affiliate player wearing 91, scored an even-strength goal, assisted by Jaxon Matheson, to knot the game at one apiece.
Despite a late hooking penalty to the Maple Leafs' Lucas Afonso, neither side could find a game-winner in the remaining minutes. The Broncos, vastly outshot 24-11, relied on the stellar, if statistically unrecorded, performance of Emmett MacDonald to earn a point. For the Maple Leafs, their offensive pressure was constant but ultimately stymied, resulting in a frustrating share of the points in a tightly contested defensive showdown.
Raptors
