BIG Extends Unbeaten Streak to Four Games with 6-5 Victory Over Apex

The Billiard Insurance Group continued their impressive run through the HPH Top Prospects League Monday night, edging Apex Hockey 6-5 in a thrilling contest at the Carleton Place Arena.

With the victory, BIG has now won three consecutive games and sits unbeaten in their last four contests, continuing a surge that has seen them emerge as one of the league’s hottest teams. While their early-season success was built on offensive firepower, recent games have shown a group that is finding different ways to win and developing confidence with every outing.

The game didn’t start in BIG’s favour.

Apex came out flying and quickly established control behind the dynamic duo of Matthew Thompson and Jaeden Switzer. Thompson opened the scoring for Apex before Switzer struck twice, helping the club build an early advantage and putting BIG on their heels.

Despite the deficit, BIG never appeared rattled.

Led by Ethan McTavish, who finished with a game-high four points (2 goals, 2 assists), BIG slowly chipped away at the lead. Reid Harper, Carter Stevens, Matt Legge, and Parker Tam all found the back of the net, while Kevin Zhu and Gabe Bergeron each contributed two assists in a balanced offensive effort.

Every time Apex appeared ready to pull away, BIG responded.

The game featured several momentum swings, with both teams trading chances and goals throughout the evening. Thompson completed a hat trick for Apex and Switzer added a pair of goals of his own, combining for all five Apex tallies and showcasing why they remain one of the league’s most dangerous offensive teams.

In goal, Marcus Smolcic turned aside 29 of 34 shots to earn the victory for BIG. Across the ice, Everett Clarke was equally busy, making 29 saves on 35 shots and giving Apex an opportunity to stay in the game until the final buzzer.

While BIG leaves the night celebrating another victory, Apex will be left wondering what could have been.

The club put together one of its more complete efforts of the season, receiving strong performances at both ends of the ice. Matthew Thompson and Jaeden Switzer combined for all five goals, while the team did a good job limiting BIG’s opportunities for much of the game. Despite the strong showing, Apex was unable to find the shutdown play they needed late in the contest as BIG continued to push and eventually found the go-ahead goal.

It’s another frustrating result for an Apex team that has shown flashes of being one of the league’s most dangerous clubs. Their last four games have followed a pattern of loss, win, loss, and tie, but Monday’s performance demonstrated that the pieces are there. The next challenge will be finding a way to close out tight games against the league’s top teams.