Like the previous two games played between these teams, the score never advanced past the narrow stages, as Great Plains managed to slip past the Sharks 3-2 in the first semifinal of Saturday’s slate. 

The aquatic predators played hungry in the first half, opening with a 1-0 lead on a rebound goal by Jack Hanson. Coasting toward the Great Plains net, Hanson picked up speed from the top of the face-off circle down to the crease, chipping the past goaltender Niklas Erickson. Charlie Stramel evened the score at 1-1 late in the first half, plating himself as he typically does in front of the opposing team’s net and capitalizing on a solid pass from Maddox Fleming. 

Finn Loftus put the Sharks ahead 2-1 in the second frame, motoring past a Great Plains defender and rifling a shot past Ryan Wallin for his third goal of the Bantam Elite League season. Not to be bitten by the upset-bug that bit Team North Dakota on Friday night, Great Plains tied the game with 16 minutes left in regulation on a goal by Jimmy Clark, followed by Stramel’s second of the game with just over 10 minutes to play. Fleming earned assists on both goals, finishing the game with three helpers. 

Knocking off No. 3 seed Team North Dakota on Friday night was nice, but slapping a 7-1 stamp on the second-seeded Kings took the Bruins' disruption of the Bantam Elite League playoffs to another level. 

The Bruins scored six consecutive goals en route to the victory, earned in running time, as both Drew Fisher and Max Nagel registered three points for the playoffs' No. 6 seed. 

Leo Gruba in Luke Jech each scored in the first half for the Bruins, with the second-half barrage led by a smattering of goals within less than three minutes of each other. Wes Brunello, Luke Savage, and Drew Fisher all tallied goals in the span, with Jech notching his second of the contest in between.

Ryan Holmstrom added an empty-net goal in the final minute for the Bruins' seventh tally. Connor Kurth scored the lone goal of the loss for the Kings.