It wasn’t pretty, but the streaks live on.
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs erased a 2-0 deficit to force OT and Josh Van Unen won it to give the Bulldogs their 7th straight win overall, and their 8th straight on home ice.
Ethan Riesterer and Anthony Lucarelli had the Bulldogs in a 2-0 hole early in the 2nd period.
The best line for the Bulldogs was easily the trio of Cole Melady, Nicholas Beneteau & Chase Klassen. They provided energy all night long and they also provided the offence. Cole Melady (3rd) made it 2-1 in the 2nd and Nicholas Beneteau (9th) tied the game mid-way through the 3rd.
Josh Van Unen took the game into his hands simple beat Parker Lalonde wide and then Zak Brice for the OT winner. The goal was Van Unen’s 16th of the season and gave him points in 10 straight games at home.
The win improved the Bulldogs record to 29-12-3-1 and moved to within a single point of Langley heading into tomorrow’s first place showdown at the Lodge. The Bulldogs got some help from the Nanaimo Clippers who defeated the Rivermen 5-3. The Bulldogs are now 17-3-2-0 on home ice this season.
The Bulldogs were 0 for 3 with the PP, but the PK was a perfect 5 for 5 on the night.
Hobie Hedquist earned his 22nd win of the year as he stopped 24 of 26 shots. The final shots on goal favoured the Bulldogs 33-26.
The Bulldogs will now hit the road for a pair of games this weekend against the Rivermen tomorrow, and the Coquitlam Express on Sunday afternoon.
