Branden Parkhouse scored the gamewinner on a third-period powerplay and the Helena Bighorns Junior A hockey team survived another physical battle with division rival Bozeman that had both teams brawling in the first period Saturday night.

With benches shortened by a total of eight ejections — four for each — the Bighorns outfought, outskated and eventually outscored the Ice Dogs 5-2 in the Helena Ice Arena.

“Obviously both teams are two good teams playing, and anytime you play Bozeman it’s a battle,” said Helena head coach Scott Cunningham, whose charges met up with Bozeman in the NorPac’s America West Division final last year. “I know their team hasn’t forgotten that and their coach hasn’t.”

Parkhouse’s goal, which came at the 7:57 mark of the final period, came with the help of defender Justin Crosby, who returned to the Bighorns for his fourth game after an early season hiatus.

Crosby poked the puck away from an attacking Bozeman forward, getting it out to Sean Connolly along the right boards. Connolly hit Parkhouse with a pass across the red line and the team’s leading scorer snapped a wrist shot from about 15 feet out, burning Bozeman goalie Mitch Thompson.

“Parkhouse, that’s what he’s here to do,” Cunningham said. “I don’t think he had a lot to shoot at but he found the hole and put it away.”

Despite the lead, Helena couldn’t do much to quash Bozeman’s intensity until the final minutes. The Ice Dogs pulled the goalie with about two minutes left in the game, and with the open net Matt Graham and Adam Johnson were both able to ease in the puck and put the game away.

“They’ve improved since the beginning of the year and right now they’re on a hot streak,” said Johnson, who scored the first and final goals of the game. “It was good for us to beat them in our own barn.”

Beat them on more than just the scoreboard.

Right after Mike Granato tied the game 1-1 with under five minutes left in the first period, Bighorns Daniel Barnes began taking punches from both front and back in the Bighorns crease.

Blinded with his helmet pushed over his eyes, he grabbed the closest player in white and began swinging. With one punch he knocked Bozeman’s Grant Pavek to the ice, and the Ice Dog had to be helped off after showing signs of dizziness.

“Bozeman took offense to it,” said referee Callen Smith, who ended up with the duty of divvying out a total of 21 infractions.

Less than two minutes later, Bozeman’s Ian Austiguy broke hockey’s cardinal sin, attacking the Bighorns captain, Willie Boyle.

After Austiguy hit Boyle from behind and head-first into the boards, all Hell broke loose.

Helena immediately came to their captain’s side and three separate fights occurred. After Kevin Clark body-slammed Bozeman’s Michael Greene and the hockey gear was cleared, Helena’s Zach Maxwell, Clark and Markus Oden were ejected along with Austiguy, Greene and Chris Wanner of Bozeman.

“In my opinion we’ve had a real hard time the last four, five, maybe even six games, keeping our emotion and intensity up,” Cunningham said. “I was proud of those guys. After a hit like that on any of our your teammates, whether it’s you captain or not, we need to set an example that that ain’t going to happen.”

The game continued smoothly, with only one penalty in the second period, an interference call by Anthony Moser.

Rudi Pino hit a slap shot from the blue line to score the Bighorns second goal and Andrew Kuechler tied it up on a short-handed attack, bringing the game to 2-2 to start the third.

Helena goalie Ryan Sutliffe came away with 21 saves while Thompson ended with 23.

The Bighorns (23-9) remain in second place and one spot above Bozeman (18-14) in the America West Division. Helena will hit the road to face off with division leader Yellowstone (24-6) tonight.