Salmonbellies Take Game 1 in Classic Overtime Mann Cup Thriller

In front of a packed house, the New Westminster Salmonbellies and Six Nations Chiefs delivered everything fans expect from a Mann Cup showdown — speed, toughness, drama, and no shortage of momentum swings.

New West looked to be in full control early, racing out to a 3–0 first-period lead behind two goals from Mitch Jones and a marker from Will Malcom. Goaltender Frank Scigliano stood tall, denying Brad Kri on a penalty shot and frustrating the Chiefs with highlight saves. By the midway point of the second, Jones had completed his hat trick and Haiden Dickson added another, stretching the lead to 5–1.

But then the Salmonbellies’ offense went quiet. They didn’t score for nearly half of regulation, and Six Nations pounced on the opportunity. Cody Jamieson and Shayne Jackson led the push, combining for three goals in the second, before Jamieson struck again late in the frame. The Chiefs carried the play, winning faceoffs and outshooting New West, and by the third period they had strung together five unanswered goals to turn the game on its head with an 8–7 lead.

With time winding down, it looked like the Salmonbellies would head to the dressing room on the wrong end of a collapse — until Haiden Dickson forced overtime with some heroics. Off a late turnover, Dickson took a floor length pass from Drew Belgrave, then buried the equalizer with just one second left, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Overtime was all Salmonbellies. A strange too-many-men penalty gave them a power play, and Jones capitalized for his fourth of the night. Jackson briefly tied it for Six Nations, but New West simply had too much left in the tank. Reece Callies picked the perfect time for his first goal as a Salmonbellie, Malcom capped his hat trick, and Jeff Cornwall sealed it with an empty-netter. The 11–8 final was a classic, punctuated by the kind of physical intensity that defines the Mann Cup, including a late-game scrap between Jeff Henrick and Dawson Theede.

Both goaltenders were outstanding in a high-volume affair. Scigliano stopped 53 of 61 shots for a .869 save percentage, while Doug Jamieson turned aside 42 of 52 (.808) and was named Six Nations’ player of the game. Jones, with four goals and an assist, earned the honour for New Westminster.

Leading Scorers

• Six Nations: Cody Jamieson (2G), Shayne Jackson (2G), Dhane Smith (2G, 2A), Ryan Smith (1G, 3A), Dawson Theede (1G, 1A)
• New Westminster: Mitch Jones (4G, 1A), Will Malcom (3G, 1A), Haiden Dickson (2G), Tye Kurtz (4A), Adam Wiedemann (3A), Reece Callies (1G), Jeff Cornwall (1G)

In the end, it was resilience that defined the night. After going nearly half the game without a goal, New Westminster’s big guns rose to the moment, and the Salmonbellies powered through adversity to take a dramatic overtime win. It truly was the kind of contest that will be remembered as a Mann Cup classic.

Game 2 happens tomorrow night at 7 PM. There are fewer than 100 tickets left and the game is expected to sell out early Saturday morning.Photo: Bold photos by Shelly