South Stars finish runner-up after late rally at Great Lakes Fall Classic.

HOLLAND, Mich. — The South Stars left the Great Lakes Fall Classic with three wins, a runner-up finish and something more valuable this early in the season: evidence that they can compete with strong teams outside Indiana.

South Stars went 3-2 over five games in Holland, with both losses coming against the West Michigan Ice Dogs — first by one goal in regulation and then in a shootout in Sunday’s championship game.

For head coach Chad Brunet, that made the weekend exactly the kind of early-season test he wanted.

“MyHockeyTournaments did a fantastic job putting our division together, especially for this early in the season when reliable MyHockeyRankings data isn't fully established yet,” Brunet said. “We viewed the weekend as an ideal benchmark to see how well our group could execute the systems, strategies, and daily habits we've been instilling in practice.”

South Stars opened Friday with a 4-2 win over the West Michigan Huskies, then followed Saturday with a 7-2 win over the Affton Americans.

The first real setback came later Saturday against the Ice Dogs.

West Michigan built a 2-0 lead in the first period before Maxwell Kerins and Evan Gettum scored in the second to pull South Stars even. Camden Comment put the Ice Dogs back in front later in the period, and West Michigan held on for a 3-2 victory.

Rather than exposing a significant gap between South Stars and the stronger competition in the field, the game showed how narrow the margin could be.

“Every opponent brought distinct strengths that required us to adapt and respect their game,” Brunet said. “The West Michigan Ice Dogs ultimately proved to be our toughest test. They were well-coached, exceptionally hard-working, and executed quick, clean puck movement.”

Easton May said the weekend gave the players a better sense of where they stand.

“We knew we were going to be playing some really competitive teams,” May said. “Being able to go there and have success against some really good teams showed us what we’re capable of.”

That became even clearer Sunday.

South Stars began the day with a 7-5 win over Munster Mustangs Red, another team that challenged them with pace and speed.

“We also have to credit Munster — their speed and pace were impressive,” Brunet said. “There's no doubt they'll continue to challenge us down the road when we meet again in Indiana.”

The win sent South Stars back into a matchup with West Michigan in the championship, giving them another chance against the team that had handed them their only loss.

For two periods, the rematch looked like it might provide a harsher lesson.

The Ice Dogs scored once in the first and twice in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Playing their fifth game of the weekend, South Stars had every reason to fade.

Instead, the response became perhaps the most meaningful part of the tournament.

“The Ice Dogs came out strong in our fifth game of the weekend and put us on our heels early,” Brunet said. “Down three goals, there was every opportunity to lose heart, but this group simply doesn't quit.”

Brunet pointed to a penalty-shot save by goaltender Deagan Baytala as the moment that began changing the game.

“We needed a monumental save to ignite us, and our starting goaltender, Deagan Baytala, came up massive,” Brunet said. “That save provided the spark we needed.”

Max Bardy scored with 10:04 remaining in the third to get South Stars on the board. Benjamin Gettum made it 3-2 with 4:47 remaining before May tied the game with 1:08 left and Baytala pulled for an extra attacker.

May said the comeback came from a change in urgency as South Stars pushed to keep the game from slipping away.

“We knew we couldn’t let the game get away from us,” May said. “We started playing with more urgency in the third and everyone was just battling for each other. We kept putting pressure on them and creating chances, and eventually we were able to get the goals we needed to tie it up.”

Brunet also credited assistant coaches Silas Deckard and Colton Haling for helping the Stars navigate the demanding weekend, particularly as the championship tightened late.

“I want to give a nod to my assistant coaches Silas Deckard and Colton Haling,” Brunet said. “Their bench management was top notch. Especially in that final game.”

Neither team scored in overtime, and West Michigan eventually won 4-3 in a shootout.

“It was a great feeling,” May said of scoring the tying goal and later converting in the shootout. “Getting the tying goal gave us a lot of momentum and confidence, and then getting the opportunity to score in the shootout was pretty special. Obviously we wanted to finish with the win, but it was a great experience.”

The championship result left South Stars one win short of the tournament title, but the way they responded to the Ice Dogs gave Brunet another measure of what the group may be capable of.

“Fighting back through that level of adversity builds confidence,” Brunet said. “That game will be one that sticks with all of us regardless of the final outcome.”

South Stars scored 23 goals across five games and showed it could win in different ways — producing offensively, handling the speed of another Indiana opponent and responding from a three-goal deficit against the strongest team it faced.

That, more than the runner-up finish, may be the most important takeaway from Holland.

“I think it was a great weekend for the boys,” May said. “Obviously losing the championship game wasn’t the way we wanted it to end, but there were a lot of positives from the weekend. We competed against some really good teams and showed that we can play with anyone.”

The next step is proving that level can be repeated.

“We just have to keep building off it,” May said. “We know what we’re capable of now, but we can’t be satisfied with one good weekend. We need to keep working, stay consistent, and bring that same compete level into every game for the rest of the season.”