The #1 seeded Wasaga River Dragons are moving on.

Wasaga defeated the #4 Ville-Marie Pirates three games to one in their best-of-five North Division Semi Final series, advancing to the North Division Final where they will face the winner of the Bradford Rattlers and West Nipissing Lynx series.

The series showcased Wasaga’s territorial dominance, Ville-Marie’s resilience in Game 3, and strong goaltending performances on both sides.

Game 1 – Wasaga 4, Ville-Marie 2

Wasaga set the tone immediately, firing 58 shots at Benjamin Nadeau in the opener.

Despite surrendering four goals, Nadeau was exceptional, stopping 54 of 58 shots and earning 1st star honors in a losing effort.

Elliot Stahmann opened the scoring, Maximilian Olsson and Luis Kolinke extended the lead, and Brad Camp added third-period insurance. Brody Pritchard turned aside 33 of 35 for Wasaga.

It was clear early that the River Dragons intended to control possession.

Game 2 – Wasaga 6, Ville-Marie 0

Game 2 was dominant.

Wasaga once again generated 58 shots and this time broke the game open offensively. Alexis Paradis led the charge with a goal and two assists, while Brad Camp, Hugo Olsson, Elliot Stahmann, and Lucas Texmo added to the attack.

Brody Pritchard stopped all 19 shots he faced for the shutout.

Through two games, Wasaga had outshot Ville-Marie 116 to 54 and seized full control of the series.

Game 3 – Ville-Marie 6, Wasaga 4

Back home in Quebec, the Pirates responded.

After trailing early, Ville-Marie exploded in the second period with power play goals from Mathis Laverdure and Maxence Albert to take command.

Maxence Albert finished with two goals and an assist, while Emeric Gaudet recorded three assists in a standout performance.

Maxim Audet was the goaltender who earned the win, stopping 34 of 38 shots and standing tall during Wasaga’s third-period push.

Benjamin Nadeau, who had been phenomenal in Games 1 and 2 under immense pressure, did not get the decision in Game 3 but remained a major storyline throughout the series given the shot volume he faced.

Wasaga mounted a late comeback effort with goals from Anton Svensson and Maximilian Olsson, but Ville-Marie answered late to secure the 6-4 victory and extend the series.

Momentum had briefly shifted.

Game 4 – Wasaga 4, Ville-Marie 1

The official box score may list 4-0, but the final was 4-1.

Graham Rooney opened the scoring early, and Anton Svensson added a late second-period power play goal to extend the lead.

In the third period, Maxime Desilets cut the deficit to 3-1, giving Ville-Marie life and creating tension in the building.

That push was short-lived.

Hugo Olsson restored the two-goal cushion on the power play before Maximilian Olsson sealed the series with an empty-net goal at 19:53.

Brody Pritchard stopped 18 of 19 shots in the clincher to send Wasaga to the next round.

By the Numbers

• Wasaga outshot Ville-Marie 199 to 105 across four games

• Brody Pritchard recorded two shutouts and allowed just three total goals in Wasaga’s three victories

• Benjamin Nadeau faced 161 shots in the series and was a major reason the Pirates remained competitive

• Maxim Audet delivered the Pirates’ lone win in Game 3

Wasaga’s depth scoring proved decisive, with contributions coming from Olsson, Svensson, Rooney, Stahmann, Camp, Paradis, and others throughout the lineup.

Series MVP – Brody Pritchard

The River Dragons controlled the shot clock, but their backbone was Brody Pritchard.

Two shutouts.
Steady composure after the Game 3 loss.
Three wins allowing just three total goals.

When Wasaga needed stability, he delivered.

What’s Next

The River Dragons now await the winner of the Bradford Rattlers and West Nipissing Lynx series.

A full recap of that series will follow once completed, along with a North Division Final preview.

The top seed handled business.

Now the path gets tougher.