June 17th, 2025 (Week 3)

Game 5 - Raptors 9, River Dogs 8

For thirty minutes, the River Dogs had it. A 6–3 lead. Balanced scoring. Heavy possession.

But then came the Raptors—and the third-period flood.

Sparked by a go-ahead goal from Matthew Dillard (his third of the night), the Raptors went on a tear. Steve Jurkiewicz followed with back-to-back tallies—his second came off a brilliant read and return pass from Andrew Copley. Katie Marshall got on the board again too, this time with Victor Melendez Gonzalez threading the needle for her finish. Before it was all said and done, the Raptors' wild comeback totalled six goals all in that final frame—an avalanche.

The Dogs did all they could. Dillard completed his hat trick, Malachy Cole picked up another crucial finish, and Aylla DeSantiago fed two assists in the middle frame that helped keep the River Dogs ahead heading into the third. George Heflin and Sean Lucas both battled for crucial pucks and kept the flow moving through the neutral zone.

But the Raptors just refused to go away.

From Murtaza Raza's setups to the calming presence of the Raptors net minder Tony London, who made some great saves throughout, this was a Raptors squad that didn’t panic. They adjusted. They surged. And in doing so, they secured a statement win—the kind you circle later in the season.

Game of the week? Maybe. Comeback of the season so far? No doubt.

Game 6 - Rough Riders 8, Polar Bears 3

From puck drop to final whistle, this one felt settled.

The Rough Riders, already riding high at 2–0, kept their foot on the gas with another composed, methodical win—this time over a Polar Bears team still struggling to string three periods together.

Jeremy Sacra opened the scoring with a low, quick strike, and rookie James Ice Den followed minutes later with a cool finish off a rebound for his first RFC tally. But it was the second period where the Riders made their mark—four goals, each one more deflating than the last.

Jacob Doucette was everywhere. Two second-period finishes, both clean, both earned, and then a third in the final frame to complete the hat trick. Brandon Witkop fed him beautifully on one of them, and then added a goal of his own, putting a stamp on his best outing of the summer. Duane Cooke added late pressure with a power finish from close range, and Parker McQuillan quietly posted two assists—key touches that opened lanes before the Bears could collapse.

On the other end, the Polar Bears kept working. Matt Sadarangani buried a sharp wrister in the second, Tom Hogan cleaned up a rebound in the third, and Ondrej Adamek drove possession through the middle even if it didn’t show on the scoresheet. There were flashes. But not enough to stop the wave.

And behind it all was Conor Fogarty. Steady, smart, unshaken in net. A couple of pad saves in the second preserved the lead when the Bears looked ready to push. That was all the Riders needed.

Three games. Three wins. First place.

The Riders are doing more than winning—they're dictating how the game is played.