The Bulldogs week of action began Wednesday night as they visited the Grizzlies at Bear Mountain Arena. The Dogs would have some great grade ?A? scoring chances early but it would be the Grizzlies jumping out to a 1-0 lead just past the halfway mark of the first when Dylan Nowakowski had several cracks at a rebound in front that he eventually banged past Frank Slubowski. Assists went to Bryce Twa and Nick Buchanan 10:19 into the first.
The Grizzlies would build on the lead when Joel Lowry scored from the left side of the net tipping one in five minutes later to make it 2-0. Assists went to Jordan Heywood and Jake Baker at the 15:20 mark. The Dogs would then end up in big penalty trouble with back to back minors in quick succession putting them down two men for well over a minute. They would come up with a big penalty kill though to keep it at 2-0. Moments later it appeared they would get more momentum as a Nick Cecere slap shot from the line hit traffic in front and bounced through Colin Fernandes. However, Referee Trent Knorr would disallow the goal, saying it was directed in with a hand. That would be as close as the Dogs would come to finding the net in this one, as the Grizzlies added the only goal of the second late in the frame to make it 3-0 as Jordan Heywood blasted a slapper from the right point past Slubowski on the power play. Assists on the goal went to Dustin Mowrey and Alex Allan with 1:07 left in the second. There would be no scoring the rest of the way as the Dogs couldn?t muster enough offence to break the shut out.
Final shots favoured the Grizzlies 26-19 with Frank Slubowski taking the loss in net. Colin Fernandes picked up the win and first star honours with the shut out for the Grizzlies. The Dogs were 0 for 4 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 1 for 5.
Friday night saw the opening of ?Parents Weekend? as the Bulldogs hosted the Clippers for the third time this season in front of one of the biggest crowds in recent memory at the Dog Pound. Penalties would be a huge factor in the flow of play in this one, with NINETEEN power plays being awarded when it was all said and done. The Clippers would jump out to a 1-0 lead when Luc Olivier Blain banged in a rebound in the crease on the power play 8:24 into the first. Victor Newell and Matt Ius picked up the assists. The Dogs would even it up later in the first with a power play goal of their own when Sam Mitchell tipped in a Kevin Ross point shot at the 13:15 mark. David Dziurzynski also picked up an assist. Before they could even announce the official scoring play on the goal it was 2-1 Clippers as the Dogs gave up a 2 on 1 and Cody Bremner made them pay putting a perfect shot off the crossbar and in short side on Frank Slubowski at the 13:53 mark. Luc Olivier blain and Teal Burns picked up the assists. The only goal of the second went to the Dogs, again on the power play, and again to Sam Mitchell as he picked up a loose puck in the slot off a blocked Kevin Ross one-timer from the line and slid it into the open side. Kevin Ross and Josh Mitchell picked up the assists. The Bulldogs would take their first lead of the game 4:41 into the third period when Jesse Halikas did a great job on puck support digging it out of a battle on the end boards and finding Matt Hatch alone in front where he slid the puck through the five hole of Loic Boivin 4:41 into the third. The Clippers would then even it up on another power play goal of their own, as Nicholas McIntyre scored on a slap shot from the line with 9:11 to play to tie the game at 3-3. No assists were given on the goal. The Dogs would push for the winner late with a 5 on 3 power play in the last minutes of the third period but the closest they would come would be a Mark MacMillan goal post with 30 seconds on the clock as the game went to overtime. The Clippers would then have a chance to win it themselves as they went to the man advantage but Frank Slubowski stood tall to hold the fort as the Dogs killed it and the game went to double overtime. The Clippers would get the winner in double OT when the Dogs got caught at the Nanaimo line and gave up a 2 on 1 rush where Cody Bremner found Joe Perry for a perfect one-timer into the open side1:20 into the 3 on 3 session.
Shots favoured the Dogs 44-29 with Frank Slubowski and Loic Boivin being the goalies of record. The Dogs were 2 for 8 on the power play while the Clippers were 2 for 11.
Saturday night saw the Dogs make their first visit of the season to the ?Big Stick? in Duncan to face the Capitals. The Dogs would get out to a great start in this one, taking a 1-0 lead before the game was five minutes old as Mitch MacMillan converted a perfect cross-crease pass from his brother Mark. Kevin Ross was also in on the set up with a nice pass from the line as it was 1-0 Dogs 4:43 into the game. Off the ensuing puck drop the Caps would come up ice and have a great chance in tight but Scott Lewan came up big to hold the lead. That would prove to be huge as just five minutes later it was 2-0 Dogs with Mitch MacMillan getting his second of the game, again on the power play, this time on a set up from Kevin Ross and Josh Mitchell as Mitch ripped a shot five hole on Alex Peck from the top of the left circle at the 9:07 mark of the first. Just over a minute later it was 3-0 Dogs when Johnny Rogic started the play with a big hit at the Capitals blue line. Matt Hatch would pick up the loose puck and then find Rogic driving the net where he kicked the puck up to his stick and went backhand on Alex Peck at the 10:16 mark. Matt Hatch and Luke Fenske would pick up the assists. The lead would be 4-0 when Mitch MacMillan completed the hat trick late in the first period when David Dziurzynski found him driving the net in the slot with a perfect pass out of the right corner where he cut in alone on Peck and then ripped a shot low blocker past Peck. The goal came with just 1:31 left in the period. The Caps would have several good chances to get in the game, but Scott Lewan came up with a couple big stops, one on Anthony Perdicaro with the glove, and the other on Nick Anderson on a shorthanded breakaway when the game was 3-0. The Dogs got in penalty trouble late in the period, with Casey Bailey and Warren Muir both getting sent to the box in close succession. The Capitals would make them pay on the 5 on 3 early in the second when Ryan Green fired a one-timer home from the left circle past Scott Lewan to put the Caps on the board. Joel Kern would pick up the lone assist 1:18 into the second. The Dogs would get that one back with Mitch MacMillan scoring his fourth of the game tipping in a Kevin Ross point shot past Laurent Brossoit (who relieved Alex Peck in the Caps net for the start of the second) just four minutes later to make it 5-1 Dogs after two. Assists went to Kevin Ross and Mark MacMillan 5:29 into the second. The only goal for the remainder of the game came with 6:08 gone in the third as Brody Lynott kept the puck in at the blue line and threw it on net where Jesse Halikas had the first chance stopped, but Mark MacMillan lifted the rebound home to make it 6-1.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 27-23, with Scott Lewan picking up his first BCHL win in goal. Alex Peck took the loss giving up four goals on six shots in 20 minutes of work. Laurent Brossoit was good the rest of the way in the Caps net, beaten twice in forty minutes. The Dogs were 3 for 7 on the power play while the Caps were 1 for 7.
Sunday afternoon the Dogs week of action finally ended as the Merritt Centennials visited the Pound. The Bulldogs came out of the gate flying, throwing 10 shots on Cents net minder Riley Wall in the first minutes of the game as the Cents were in immediate penalty trouble. The Dogs would take a 1-0 lead on the power play when David Dziurzynski threw a shot on net off the rush that resulted in a rebound that Mitch MacMillan fired int
Bulldogs Remain in Second Place
