The contest was a rematch of the championship game of the Memorial-hosted Mae Kibyuk Memorial Green and Gold Hockey Tournament, which saw the Ravens beat the Marauders 3-2 at Emera Centre Northside in North Sydney last month.

To make the championship even more special, it was the Marauders’ third game of the day on Sunday after the club finished the round robin portion of the tournament in the morning, before playing in the semifinal and eventually the championship games in the afternoon.

The reason the Sydney Mines-based team had to play three games in one day was because of the postponement of Panther Classic games on Friday due to weather conditions, which forced organizers to make a new schedule on Friday afternoon.

COMEBACK WIN

In the final, Memorial scored four unanswered goals after trailing 2-0 in the first period on their way to winning the tournament title for the first time since 2015.

Maxx Morrison, Owen Gracie, Colby Viva and Jackson Gerrow netted goals for the Marauders.

The Glace Bay product had just joined the Panthers program after starting the 2024-25 season with the Sydney Mitsubishi Rush of the Nova Scotia Under-18 Major Hockey League before electing to return to high school hockey.

“I remember the first game well as we won big but the highlight of the night for sure was the crowd. I knew I made the right choice coming home to play after that game.”

While this year’s Panther Classic will be his second and final host tournament, it will be extra special for the 17-year-old Walker as he was named the team’s captain last week, wearing the ‘C’ on his jersey for the first time last Friday night against Riverview.

“It means a lot to me to be named captain of the team and to be able to be a leader and a guy that the team can rely on and look for anything,” said Walker. “When you’re the captain of your high school team, it’s a lot more of a job than just your time at the rink.

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Landen Leyte and Eric Power replied for the Marauders.

Glace Bay goalie Bryden Kelly made 15 saves, while Memorial’s Levi Hull stopped 22 of 25 shots.

The Sydney Academy Wildcats, who hosted the tournament, lost to the Marauders 5-1 in Sunday morning’s semifinal. Noah Tremblett scored a hat trick, while Leyte added two goals. Wildcats captain Anthony Melski, playing in his fourth and final Blue and White Challenge, was the lone goal-scorer for his team.

Hull made five saves for Memorial. Sydney Academy goalie Ethan Lewis stopped 35 of 40 shots up until the last minute of play, then Mikeda MacEwan turned away one shot before the game-ending buzzer sounded.

In the other morning semifinal, the Panthers downed the Eastern Shore Coyotes 4-2. Ryan White, Burke Aucoin, Carter Ford, Sam Donovan and Carson Hogan potted in single markers for Glace Bay. Tristen Conrad and Bailey Karsten responded for Eastern Shore.

Kelly went the distance between the pipes for the Panthers. Isaac Bengert started in goal for the Coyotes for nearly the first nine minutes before being replaced by Rylan Bent for the rest of the game. Goaltender statistics, however, were not available.

Since then, Melski has played in three Blue and White tournaments, but none will be as big as the event this week in Membertou.

The Sydney Academy Wildcats captain will play in his fourth and final Blue and White Challenge when the club hits the ice on tonight against the Riverview Ravens. Game time is set for 8 p.m., at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre.

“It’s been one of the best experiences of high school hockey for me,” said Melski, a Grade 12 player. “I feel like that’s what it’s all about, being there and playing in front of the school, fans, family and friends, it’s the best part of the whole experience of the tournament.”

The four-day, eight-team tournament, which typically takes place in January, will feature two divisions, each with four teams.

Sydney Academy will be joined in the Blue Division by Riverview, Eastern Shore Coyotes of Musquodoboit Harbour and the Richmond Hurricanes of Louisdale. Meanwhile, the White Division will include the Glace Bay Panthers, Memorial Marauders, Millwood Knights, and Dartmouth Spartans.