The Northumberland Stars are heading to the Russell Cup Final for the first time in the 10-year history of the franchise.

After dropping Game 1 on home ice, the Stars regrouped and won four of the next five games to defeat the Durham roadrunners in six games and claim the South Division championship. It was a hard-fought series between two of the hottest teams in the GMHL, but Northumberland’s high-end scoring, timely special teams, and strong goaltending from Ivan Kremnev ultimately carried them through.

Durham pushed them every step of the way, forcing overtime in Game 2, stealing Game 5, and showing throughout the series why they had become one of the league’s most dangerous teams. But in the end, the Stars found another gear and punched their ticket to the Russell Cup Final.

Game 1: Durham 6, Northumberland 3

The roadrunners came into Colborne and immediately took away home ice.

Period 1

Tristan Miron opened the scoring for Northumberland just over two minutes in, but Durham answered with goals from Daniil Tyurikov and Dmytro Kladkovyi to take a 2-1 lead after one.

Period 2

Jesse Aitken extended the Durham lead early before Miron scored his second of the night to keep the Stars close. Yenri Jibb answered on the power play, and although Zennon Edwards struck short-handed to make it 4-3, Durham stayed in control.

Period 3

Aitken scored his second of the game and German Gerasimov added the empty netter to finish off the 6-3 win.

Three Stars

1st Star: Jesse Aitken – 2G, 2A
2nd Star: Daniil Tyurikov – 1G, 1A
3rd Star: Yenri Jibb – 1G, 1A

Durham’s special teams and offensive execution gave them the early series edge.

Game 2: Northumberland 7, Durham 6 (OT)

Game 2 was the turning point of the entire series.

Period 1

Jesse Aitken opened the scoring again for Durham, but Brayden Bowen answered just 22 seconds later to settle Northumberland down.

Period 2

The game exploded. Brendan Collins gave the Stars the lead, Durham responded through Zakhar Yevdokimov, then grabbed control with power-play goals from Yenri Jibb and Aitken. Dawson Hettiarachchi scored late in the period to keep Northumberland within one.

Period 3

Nolan Stickland tied it, Bowen scored on the power play, Marquise Brown answered for Durham, and Bowen struck again to make it 6-4. The roadrunners still refused to go away, with Aitken completing the hat trick at 19:59 to force overtime.

Overtime

At 18:14, Jacob Russouw ended a wild game with the biggest goal of the series to that point, sending the teams back to Colborne tied.

Three Stars

1st Star: Brayden Bowen – 3G, 1A
2nd Star: Jacob Russouw – 1G, 2A
3rd Star: Jesse Aitken – 3G

Instead of falling behind 2-0, Northumberland escaped with a split. From there, the momentum began to shift.

Game 3: Northumberland 4, Durham 2

Back in Oshawa, Northumberland delivered one of its cleanest efforts of the playoffs.

Period 1

German Gerasimov gave Durham the early lead, but the Stars answered with two straight power-play goals from Ryan Boon and Brayden Bowen. Dawson Hettiarachchi then struck short-handed to give Northumberland a 3-1 lead after one.

Period 2

Tyurikov cut the deficit to one on the power play, but Durham could not find the equalizer.

Period 3

Hettiarachchi scored his second of the night just 90 seconds into the third to restore the two-goal cushion, and Ivan Kremnev shut the door from there.

Three Stars

1st Star: Dawson Hettiarachchi – 2G, 1A
2nd Star: Ivan Kremnev – 27 SV, .931 SV%
3rd Star: Ryan Boon – 1G, 1A

Northumberland’s special teams completely flipped the game and gave the Stars their first series lead.

Game 4: Northumberland 3, Durham 1

With a chance to put Durham on the brink, the Stars leaned on structure and goaltending again.

Period 1

Ibragim Mashanov gave Durham a 1-0 lead just 1:22 into the game, but from there the Stars settled in.

Period 2

Dawson Hettiarachchi tied the game on the power play, continuing his outstanding series.

Period 3

Brayden Bowen gave Northumberland the lead early in the period, and Dario Alimonti added the insurance marker midway through the frame. Ivan Kremnev turned aside 29 of 30 shots and gave the Stars another composed effort in net.

Three Stars

1st Star: Ivan Kremnev – 29 SV, .967 SV%
2nd Star: Yaroslav Gurenkov – 41 SV, .932 SV%
3rd Star: Dario Alimonti – 1G, 1A

Northumberland had now won three straight and seized full control of the series.

Game 5: Durham 5, Northumberland 4

Facing elimination, the roadrunners pushed back in dramatic fashion.

Period 1

Marquise Brown opened the scoring on the power play, giving Durham a 1-0 lead.

Period 2

Northumberland responded with goals from Dawson Hettiarachchi and Tristan Miron to move in front 2-1.

Period 3

Miron added another on the power play early in the third, but Durham stormed back. Jesse Aitken, Brown, and Ben Hansen all scored to put the roadrunners back in front. Northumberland forced overtime when Hettiarachchi struck again on the power play with 22 seconds left.

Overtime

After a frantic extra frame, the game was decided in a shootout, with Daniil Tyurikov delivering the winner and extending the series.

Three Stars

1st Star: Marquise Brown – 2G, 1A
2nd Star: Tristan Miron – 2G, 1A
3rd Star: Dawson Hettiarachchi – 2G, 1A

Durham kept its season alive and made sure the Stars would have to earn the title on the road.

Game 6: Northumberland 7, Durham 3

In the deciding game, the Stars delivered a championship performance.

Period 1

Durham looked ready to force Game 7, jumping ahead on power-play goals from Marquise Brown and Zakhar Yevdokimov. But Dario Alimonti got Northumberland on the board, and Brendan Collins tied it before intermission.

Period 2

From there, the Stars took over. Tristan Miron, Zennon Edwards, Collins again on the power play, and Brayden Bowen all scored as Northumberland broke the game open with four unanswered goals.

Period 3

Bowen added another for good measure, and the Stars closed out the 7-3 win to claim the South Division crown.

Three Stars

1st Star: Tristan Miron – 1G, 3A
2nd Star: Brayden Bowen – 2G, 1A
3rd Star: Brendan Collins – 2G

Northumberland answered Durham’s early push with five unanswered goals and slammed the door on the series.

Goaltending Battle

The crease became one of the defining edges in the series.

For Northumberland, Ivan Kremnev was outstanding after taking over the net, especially in Games 3 and 4 where he allowed just three total goals and gave the Stars calm, reliable play when the series tightened. Nick Mayne took the Game 1 loss, but from that point forward Kremnev became the backbone of the Stars’ run.

For Durham, Yaroslav Gurenkov had strong stretches and stole attention in stretches of the series, especially under heavy shot volume, but Northumberland’s offensive pressure eventually wore the roadrunners down. Leonid Putilov also saw action in Game 6 after the Stars broke things open.

Key Performances

Tristan Miron was a difference-maker throughout the series, scoring key goals early and then finishing with four points in the clinching game.

Brayden Bowen had one of the signature performances of the series in Game 2 with a hat trick and followed that with more clutch offense down the stretch.

Dawson Hettiarachchi was crucial in the middle of the series, scoring twice in Game 3, adding the tying goal in Game 5, and continuing to come through on special teams.

Ryan Boon quietly drove offense all series long, while Dario Alimonti, Brendan Collins, and Jacob Russouw all delivered timely contributions in key moments.

For Durham, Jesse Aitken was consistently dangerous, including a huge Game 1 and a Game 2 hat trick. Marquise Brown and Daniil Tyurikov also had major moments, and Yenri Jibb continued to generate offense, but the roadrunners ultimately could not keep pace once Northumberland found its rhythm.

Series MVP

Brayden Bowen – Northumberland

Bowen had the biggest swing game of the series in Game 2 with a hat trick and four points when the Stars desperately needed to avoid falling behind 2-0. He continued producing throughout the series and was one of the biggest reasons Northumberland regained control after the opening loss. In a series loaded with offensive stars, Bowen’s timely finishing stood out.

Implications

For Northumberland, this is a historic breakthrough. The Stars have captured the South Division title and will now play for the Russell Cup for the first time in franchise history. They were tested by Durham’s depth and resilience, but responded with poise, special teams execution, and elite offensive production.

For Durham, the season ends just short of the final, but the roadrunners proved they belonged among the league’s elite. Their late-season run was no fluke, and they pushed the top seed harder than anyone else in the South.

What’s Next?

Northumberland now advances to the Russell Cup Final, where they will meet the North Division champion.

A recap of the North Division Final and a full Russell Cup Final preview will follow soon.