A three goal comeback earned a point, but back to back penalty calls in overtime was the Bulldog undoing as the Capitals were 4-3 winners Sunday afternoon at the Dawg Pound
It was a rather sedate start to the game, with not much in the way of scoring chances through the early minutes. The Caps had a great chance to open the scoring on a power play seven minutes into the game, but Owen Lunneborg made a stellar glove save on a cross-ice set up. The Bulldogs trailed 1-0 with under two minutes to play on a long-developing odd-man rush finished from the slot on a give-and-go between Slade Firkus and Gavin Rocha that saw Firkus blast a one-timer from the slot far-side past Lunneborg.
The Bulldogs pushed a bit to start the second, and earned a power play chance, but couldn’t capitalize on it. Seconds later, it was 2-0 as Tyler Rowland walked over the line and used the Defence as a screen and put a quick wrist shot home low, stick=side on Lunneborg nine minutes into the period. Two minutes later, it was 3-0 during four-aside hockey as Hunter Heisten beat his man to the net and deflected a cross-ice pass through Lunneborg. The Bulldogs earned a power play shortly afterwards when the Capitals were called for diving, and they made it count, as Jacob Terpstra found Brandon Gill down low, and he set up Wyatt Davis in the slot where he picked the top corner, glove-side on Stoesser with a one-timer to make it 3-1. The Bulldogs got within one three minutes later, when Kai Matthew threw the puck on net and Brandon Gill batted home his first as a Bulldog to make it 3-2 with under four minutes to play in the second
The Bulldogs drew back to even two minutes into the third on the rush, with Samuel Leonard setting up Wyatt Blace in front. He was stopped, but Teague McAllister followed the play and rifled the loose puck home from the crease to make it 3-3. There would no scoring throughout the rest of the third, as the game went to overtime.
The Bulldogs had possession and attacking zone time first in overtime, but play was blown dead almost immediately as the net was dislodged. Cowichan would win the following draw, and keep possession until they drew a penalty, and a subsequent second penalty, go to go a 5 on 3 power play that saw them end the game immediately as a cross-ice pass hit a defender before Gavin Nemis poked it home to make it a 4-3 final at 3:14 of overtime.
Shots on goal were 50-26 Cowichan, with Rhett Stoesser earning the win and Owen Lunneborg taking the loss. Both teams went 1 for 3 on the power play. The Bulldogs next see action Friday night when they open a two game set in Powell River against the Kings.
