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Bulldogs battle to a 5-5 tie

The Bulldogs took to the road Tuesday as they visited the Victoria Grizzlies at the Bear Mountain Arena. The Dogs started well but ended up behind the 8 ball early in the game as Robert Lindores was given a five minute major for kneeing. Through good work on the penalty kill the Dogs actually drew a penalty, and then another during 4 on 4 action to end up on a 4 on 3 power play. The Dogs started to dominate at this point, getting chance after chance around the Victoria net. They weren?t able to bury them though as Colin Fernandes was solid. The Dogs would finally get on the board as they raced out of their own end on a 2 on 0 breakaway where Johnny Rogic kept the puck and shot high short side over the glove of Fernandes for a 1-0 Dogs lead 12:13 into the first. Assists went to Matt Hatch and Mitch MacMillan. The Grizzlies tied things up just over a minute later with a quick bang-bang play from behind the net being one-timed home by Derek Bacon at 13:57 for a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes. The Dogs took a 2-1 lead 5:48 into the second when they again scored on an odd man rush as Mark MacMillan kept the puck and shot high short side again. Assists on the play went to Trent Dorais and Luke Fenske. Yet again the Grizzlies came back to tie it quickly, less than two minutes later Teal Burns jammed a loose puck under Frank Slubowski. It appeared that the whistle sounded first, but the goal would stand at the 7:19 mark of the second for a 2-2 score. The Grizzlies then took their first lead of the game with six minutes to go in the period as the Dogs broke down in their own end allowing Bryce Twa to walk out of the corner and right on goal where he shot low short side for a 3-2 Victoria lead at the 13:35 mark. This time it was the Dogs turn to come back quickly as Kevin Ross put a wrist shot with eyes on net from the top of the blue line on the power play that found its way past Fernandes through traffic to tie the game at 3-3. Johnny Rogic and Jesse Halikas had the assists as the game was again tied after two periods. The Dogs came out on fire in the third, again striking on the power play to go up 4-3 as Curtis Tonello made a nice play at the line before throwing a shot on net that hit Mitch MacMillan, who found the loose puck and put it home as the Dogs retook the lead 4:26 into the third. Mark MacMillan also assisted on the play. Minutes later the Dogs again went to the power play as a finished check resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Victoria. And again the Dogs struck on the power play as Nick Cecere was set up beautifully by Matt Hatch and Casey Bailey for his first career goal as he ripped a high shot from the top of the right circle for a 5-3 Dogs lead with 6:53 gone in the third. The lead wasn?t a safe one though as the Grizzlies didn?t lie down. They got within one at 9:36 when Jordan Heywood picked up a turnover and walked to the slot where he put a high shot past Slubowski for a 5-4 game. The comeback would be completed just three minutes later when Madison Dias found a rebound in front and slapped it home into the open side to tie the game at 5-5. Frank Slubowski and Colin Fernandes would be unbeatable after that as through the first and second overtime period neither team could find the net. It looked like the Dogs had the winner for a moment in double OT as the goal light came on, but the goal was waved off.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 43-28. The Dogs were 3 for 5 on the power play while the Grizzlies were 0 for 3.
It?s the first road point of the season for the Dogs, although with a two goal lead in the third period it might feel like they also gave a point away in this one.
Next up for the Dogs is a weekend three in three road trip to face Interior Conference opponents for the first time this season starting Friday in Merritt.