West Auckland Admirals won 9-4 at Dunedin Thunder in regulation, taking control of the NZIHL fixture with a powerful second period. The Admirals scored first at 11:00 and never trailed, stretching a one-goal lead into a 6-3 cushion by the second intermission.
The middle period produced eight goals, with West Auckland outscoring Dunedin 5-3 to break the game open. Dunedin closed the gap to 4-6 in the third, but the Admirals responded with three straight goals to put the game away.
West Auckland's nine-goal output marked the high-water mark of the contest. The Admirals' five-goal second period was the decisive stretch, turning a narrow lead into a three-goal advantage they never surrendered.