Close games were the order of the day at the 2024 Andrew Desjardins New Year’s Classic in Walden last weekend as houseleague teams gathered to dole out banners in five different age brackets.

Cody Woods, Francis Montpellier and Owen Gatchell scored for the Valley East Pet Value Ice Dogs, U18 champions with a 3-2 win over Walden Doyle Dodge (Kadin Broomhead, Liam Gray).

Walden Futurescape claimed some hometown bragging rights when Brayden Gerrior snapped a the 2-2 tie with less than two minutes to play, pushing the U16 team past the Onaping Falls Huskies 3-2. Ryder Villeneuve and Cameron MacIntosh found the back of the net earlier in the game for the winners while Caleb Robillard and Logan Scott answered in a losing cause.

Espanola Farquhar’s Dairy and the Sudbury Smartech Spartans treated fans to a back and forth U15 final as Liam Houle iced a 5-3 win for the milltown youngsters, potting his second goal of the game into an empty-net with one second remaining on the clock. Liam Leclair also chipped in with a two-goal effort for Farquhar’s, with Carter Morrell adding a solo tally, while Gregory Patrie (2) and Aiden Lische lit the lamp for the Spartans.

A wild affair wrapped up play in the U13 division as markers from Blake Durnford, Carter Hill and Kyle Gagnon gave the Sudbury Wailers what appeared to be a comfortable 3-0 lead late before Walden Major Drilling stormed back with goals from Nixon Carrier and Braeden Merkley to make things interesting in the final five minutes of play.

Finally, a hat-trick from Taisto Saikkonen propelled Walden Pinehill Lumber to a 4-1 win over Copper Cliff Line X as Jaxen Johnston (Walden) and Riley Heinsohn (Copper Cliff) also found their way onto the scoresheet as well.