In a day of routs, the NL – BC match-up was a close-checking, hard-hitting, end-to-end affair that, perhaps, came down to the inevitable: BC was a goal better. But only a goal better. In a 3-2 win, BC got the first, the third and the fourth but never enough to seal the deal before the final buzzer.

Defensively, NL played BC, well, like a rock, the only chink in their fortress was goal-mouth goals that the bigger team muscled past a goalie, suitably, named Champion.

And NL never gave up. Even into the dying moments, 2 goals down, you could see it in their effort: And they could, they got within one but, ultimately, the BC mountain was just too high.

BC 3 - NL 2; NWT 0 - Sk 13; NS 10 - YT 4; MB 12 - PE 2.