Brewers win one of the wildest games you'll ever see

This was one of the most fun hockey games you’ll ever come across.

The score ended with a 7-6 win for the Brewers over the Xtreme and there is a laundry list of craziness to digest.

Where do you even start? Maybe it’s Jayden Ryan scoring the winner with just four minutes left in the game.

Maybe it’s the hat-trick that Zach Boyle scored for the Brewers in the second period. Or the tenacious and constant comebacks from the Xtremes.

How about a special shout out to Xander Wardlaw who scored one of the prettiest goals we’ve seen for the Xtreme. Steve Best had an equally as impressive goal for the Brewers. Matus Trnka had three jaw-dropping saves in the second. There was shorthanded goals, momentum swings, and big hits. Joey MacDougall chipped in four points for the Xtreme. There was even a wild third period comeback.

It felt like there were 8 games within the game.

At the end of the day, it’s two points for Brewers (2-2, 4 points) who move into equal first with the Xtreme (2-1, 4 points)

How do you even sum up a game? You’ll have to watch the highlights. But here’s our best effort.

PERIOD #1

The insanity started literally from the drop of the puck. The Brewers – who had yet to hold a lead in regulation play – got the party going immediately.

Right off the opening faceoff Ben Handberg found Tomek Sak who sent a firm shot between the legs of Xtreme goalie Jeremy Friederich to give the Brewers a lead just 14 seconds into the game.

The Xtreme tied the game up a few minutes later when interstate recruit and 287 game AIHL man Adrian Esposito backhanded a goal in tight to level the score.

Once again the Brewers responded. On the very next shift, Tomek Sak pounced all over a turnover, created a 2-on-1, baited the defenseman and fed the puck to Steve Best. The Brewers’ leader did the rest, pulling a pretty move in tight all alone on Friederich before roofing the team’s second goal of the game.

But once again the Xtreme had a response. This time it was Xtreme captain Joey MacDougall who banked home a juicy rebound off a Tom Tait point show to level the scores at two.

That’s how a wildly entertaining first period ended.

PERIOD #2

Then came the second period and a 20-minute stretch that will live in NHSL folklore.

Xander Wardlaw took a late double-minor penalty in the first that gave the Brewers a four-minute powerplay. The Xtreme took a second minor that gave the Brewers a five-on-three.

They made no mistake. Zach Boyle rifled a shot past Friederich down low on a nice pass from his brother Tyler to make it 3-2.

The Brewers actually had the first nine shots of the period over a seven minute stretch. But when the Xtreme got their first shot they made the most of it.

Xander Wardlaw finished off a Nathaniel Benson pass to tie the game at three.

The very next shift the Brewers responded. They continued pressure and Zach Boyle found himself in the slot with his stick on a rebound in a dangerous area. He put it behind the Xtreme goalie to make 4-3.

Enter Xander Wardlaw…again.

The NHSL point leader scooped up a puck on the right wing, toe-dragged the Brewer defenseman, worked his way in tight and pulled off a pretty move on the back-hand to score on the Xtreme’s second shot of the period. They may have been outplayed but they had the game all square at the mid point.

The penalty parade continued but this time it was the Brewers orchestrating the minor offenses. The Xtreme had a 5-on-3 and Matus Trnka made back-to-back ridiculous saves.

One was a skate save on a rebound on Nathaniel Benson. The other was a post-to-post kick save on Xander Wardlaw who was left dumbfounded of how the 17-year-old made his way across the crease to take the puck away.

The Brewers used the momentum when, while shorthanded, Zach Boyle fired a puck at the net from the blue line that deflected off an Xtreme skate and in the back of the net. It was the first hat-trick in NHSL history.

With the Xtreme on the power-play late in the second, Trnka made another pad save while sprawled out on Nathaniel Benson to keep it a 5-4 Brewers lead.

PERIOD #3

The Brewers killed off two straight penalties to start the third. They patiently waited for their opportunity.

Nicola Pau floated a sky high pass over the Xtreme defense to the stick of Tyler Leeming who gave the Brewers a 6-4 lead and much needed insurance.

Jeremy Friederich then showed why he was made a marquee player in net for the Xtreme. The Brewers kept coming in waves but Friederich kept the Xtreme in it.

The Xtreme cut the lead in half when Andrew Stapleton sent a nifty cross ice stretch pass to Joey MacDougall who rocketed home his second of the night. 6-5.

Then, on the power play, Noah Maley had to hustle back just to keep a bouncing puck alive at the blue line. He played it to MacDougall who found a wide open Olivier Martin who tied the game at six with a little over five minutes to play.

The winner game as Jayden Ryan capitalised off a turnover and raced in on a tight breakaway and beat Jeremy Friederich blocked side to put the team up 7-6.

The Xtreme kept the pressure up late but more timely saves from Trnka kept them at bay.

7-6 your final score.

The Xtreme tied the game five different times, but ultimately couldn’t tie it a sixth.

Exhale. What a game.

Next week the Stars face the Xtreme with the winner heading to first place at the Christmas break.

SHOTS ON GOAL 
Brewers 41
Xtreme 34

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST PERIOD

2ND PERIOD

3RD PERIOD