The Steeldogs hosted an eight team showcase this weekend at Ridder Arena featuring six local teams and the Rockford Ice Devils at the '03 and '07 level. The championship of the '03 level featured an East/West matchup between Euro American Red made up of mostly players from the northwest suburbs and the host Steeldogs composed of kids from the St. Paul side of town. 

Osseo Maple Grove's Ethan Elias got the game going scoring two goals in the first five minutes to give the Euros a 2-0 lead. Justin Janicke would add a late goal with 13 seconds to go in the period and Euro seemed to be in control. The first period was a case of one team converting (Euro) and one not (Steeldogs). 

The conversion rate for the Steeldogs changed for the better in the second period - they scored four goals in the final eight minutes of the period to take a lead into the break. The Dogs dominated play in the second, in one particular stretch they held the Euro zone for three minutes before the Reds finally iced the puck. 

The Reds tied the score early in the third period at 4-4 on an Aiden McMahon goal. Then, Max Zupfer scored on a rebound as the Dogs reestablished control of the game. The power forward from Woodbury cleaned up a rebound shot from the point. The final 11 minutes were very entertaining, both teams played hard looking for the all important next goal. 

After both teams failed to convert for nine minutes, Henry Nelson beat his man and eventually the Steeldogs goalie to tie the score at 5-5 with just over two minutes to go. Late in the game with the clock winding down, the Dogs got the puck in the blue paint as the buzzer rang. YHH is not sure the puck crossed the line and if it did, the referee emphatically declared that it was not in time. 

Nelson got into the act again, this time fellow Osseo Maple Grove teammate Justin Janicke sucked in the Steeldogs' defense and slid it to a wide open Nelson who tapped it in for the victory.

Stat Leaders

Euro: Henry Nelson (2G/1A), Ethan Elias (2G/1A) and Justin Janicke (1G/2A)
Steeldogs: Tristan Tabucol (1G/1A), Drew Fisher (1G/1A) and Tyler Haskins (1G/1A)