Veteran goaltender John Grahame was the hero of the United States ice hockey team that beat Canada 7-6 in a gripping game in Dunedin last night.
A sell-out crowd of 3500 packed the Dunedin Ice Stadium to witness the best standard of ice hockey ever seen in Dunedin.
Canada held a five-goal lead after winning the first two games of the series in Auckland and Christchurch and the US needed a six-goal win to take the Douglas Webber Cup.
That was too big a hurdle but the US had the satisfaction of gaining its first win in the invitational series.
Grahame (35), a member of the 2006 US Olympic team, displayed his talents with some excellent saves in the first two periods when he saved 10 goals.
But he lifted his game to an even higher level in the final 20-minute spell by making 12 saves and ensuring a US win.
Canada held a 5-4 lead after two periods but the US left its best form for the end when it won the final period 3-1 to win the game.
Blake Barkwell started it off with a goal in the first minute to even the score at 5-5. Kevin Doell took Canada back into the lead soon afterwards.
Goals to Cody Lampl and the elusive Bates Battaglia then put the US in front.
Canada was desperate and had six shots at goal in the last five minutes. But they were all stopped by Grahame who turned the Canadian tide.
It was a spectacle of hockey on ice that bewitched the large crowd. No New Zealand ice hockey player could match the speed and skills of these masters on ice who learnt their skills in the North American National Ice Hockey League.
Canada consolidated its hold on the three-game series when it led 2-1 after the first of the three 20-minute periods.
But it was the US that scored first after three minutes when Anthony Battaglia put the puck into the net with an assist from Jake Gannon.
Canada had won the first two tests but it was the US that was in command in the first 10 minutes.
But Canada rallied and Aaron Mackenzie goaled with an assist from Derek Armstrong to even the scores.
Canada took the lead late in the spell when Mark Hartigan scored to capture the lead.
Canada was firing in the last eight minutes and it was only the stout defence of Grahame that stopped the tide and kept the US in the game.
Other key US defenders were Ryan Weston and Aaron Miller.
The best Canadians in the first spell were attackers Brad Smyth and Derek Armstrong.
Tempers were tested and Brent Cullaton (Canada) and Cody Lampl (US) threw down their sticks and used their fists against each other in a ding-dong fight.
Six goals were scored in the second period, three to each side, and Canada clung to its one-point lead with the score at 5-4.
The US scored first but it was not long before Canada consolidated its lead with two quick goals by Jullian Talbot and Tyler Mosienko.
The scores were level at 4-4 when Blake Barkwell scored.
Canada took a 5-4 lead when former National Ice Hockey League star Derek Armstrong scored just before the break.
But it was not just an ice hockey game between talented players from two of the world's best ice hockey countries - it was a spectacle.
The start of the game had been delayed due to the long queue of patrons trying to get into the stadium and the atmosphere inside replicated the intense excitement that is part of elite sport in North America.
All the hype and glamour was used by the commentators when they introduced the teams.
"It was awesome to see so many people having fun and watching ice hockey," the chairman of Ice Sports Dunedin Sue Hosiet said.
"The stadium looked amazing and it was a great start to what will be the busiest month ever for the Dunedin Ice Stadium that is hosting the New Zealand Winter Games and other national events."
