Sydney Bears secured a 6-2 regulation win over the Melbourne Ice, opening the scoring at 8:00 of the first period and never surrendering the lead. The Bears took a 1-0 edge into the first intermission and built it to 3-0 by the second.
Sydney added two goals in the middle frame, then traded tallies with Melbourne in a high-event third period. The Ice scored twice, but the Bears answered with three of their own to seal the 2-6 final, with the three-goal cushion proving decisive against the late push.
The Bears' six-goal night, including three in the final period, was the game's defining number. Melbourne was held off the scoresheet through 40 minutes and managed only a pair of third-period goals in a deficit that never got truly close.