In the 2004 Invite Division of the 2015 USA International Hockey Cup, the championship game featured the No. 4 seed Miracle Gold and the No. 3 seed Minnesota Made Orange. 

Both teams had upset higher seeds in the semifinals, with Miracle Gold knocking off top-seeded Minnesota Hometown Hockey 4-2, and Orange sipping past No. 2 seed Alaska Elite 4-3.

Miracle Gold came out on top 3-2, scoring twice in the second period on early goals by Karson Raymond and Landon Steffen. Orange scored once in the second frame, with Will Schumacher getting on the board early.

The third period came down to the wire, and Orange’s Teddy Manlove managed to tie the game 2-2 with just under three minutes to play in regulation, sending the match to overtime. 

With 1:54 to play in overtime, Miracle Gold’s Bryce Laager entered the Orange zone, wheeled around the net, and slipped a pass to defenseman Tristan Sarsland. Sarsland let fly a wrist shot through traffic, deflected in by Laager to earn Miracle Gold the title. 

Finlandia Hockey Club of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada earned a bye in the 2006 division semifinals after cruising through pool play with a perfect 4-0 record. The Northern Wings Red squad edged Miracle Gold 3-1 in its semifinal, after going 2-1-1 through pool play. 

Even facing an tournament-undefeated team like FHC, Northern Wings Red kept the game as tight as can be, especially after losing to FHC by a lopsided 5-0 score in pool play. Lucas Bertolin scored a goal and added an assist for FHC, as did Mitchell Vanderwey. Matthew Lysak scored FHC’s second (and eventual game-winner) on a gorgeous breakaway, deftly shifting the puck around Northern Wings goaltender Conner Roff to put FHC up 2-1. Finlandia would add a third goal late to win it 3-1.

Carson Pilgrim scored the lone goal for Northern Wings Red, assisted by Taylor Berg. 

Our final game of the day, the 2003 division championship, could be considered an instant classic. 

Miracle Gold jumped out to a 4-2 lead over Playmakers in the first period, thanks largely in part to a pair of unassisted beauties by Alex Cole. Miracle Gold tacked on another goal in the second period, this one off the stick of Blake Johnson, and added another early in the third period by Zack Schulte for a seemingly insurmountable 6-2 lead.

Wiz Wyatt POTY winner Tyler Haskins and Justin Janicke each scored in the first period for Playmakers. 

Brody Lamb scored for Playmakers midway through the third period to make the score 6-3. Then for eight minutes, Playmakers enjoyed several power play opportunities, but were unable to crack the solid goaltending of Miracle Gold’s Nate Gist. 

Late in the third with less than two minutes to play, Playmakers pulled its goaltender for an extra attacker, a gutsy move considering it was a three-goal deficit and the long-range shooting accuracy of Miracle Gold’s Joe Greniuk.

But the move paid off, and Tristan Tabucol and Jared Jensen found the net, with Jensen’s goal tipping off Gist’s skate and slipping over the goal line, making the score 6-5 with one minute left in regulation. 

Momentum swung back to Playmakers, but not hard enough. Miracle Gold was able to hang on, avenging a 9-4 loss to Playmakers in pool play to win the International Cup 6-5.