The Bulldogs finished their weekend Sunday afternoon in Surrey as they visited the Eagles for the first meeting between the teams this season. The Dogs came out of the gate flying, generating several good chances in the opening moments of the game. The Eagles would end up going on an early power play shortly afterwards but the Dogs killed it off thanks to a highlight reel save by Brad Rebagliati as he went post to post to rob an Eagle on a wide open net chance off a deflected point shot. The save loomed large later in the period when the Dogs took a 1-0 lead on the power play as Evan Anderson deflected a Kurt Gosselin shot from the top of the point. Evan Tironese also picked up an assist on the play at 12:57 of the first. The lead was 2-0 later in the period when the Dogs connected on the power play again, as this time Gosselin’s one-timer from the point went straight in for his first career goal at the 17:40 mark of the first for a 2-0 Dogs lead after 20 minutes.
The Dogs kept their foot on the gas to start the second as Evan Tironese potted a loose puck off an end-board bounce from a Chase Van Allen point shot to make it 3-0 at the 4:28 mark with Evan Anderson and Manny Gialedakis picking up the assists. The Eagles would get on the board to trim the gap to 3-1 three minutes later when Stefan Burzan cut across the slot in the Dogs zone and slid one through the legs of Rebagliati with assists to Beau Orser and Demico Hannoun at 7:44. Less than two minutes later the three-goal lead was restored on a faceoff win in the Eagles zone by Evan Tironese back to the left point to Jared Crossan, who then snapped a quick shot on net that was stopped by Edward Dyson. Tironese would go to the net and find the rebound in the slot where he one-timed it home to make it 4-1 at 9:11 of the second with Evan Anderson also drawing an assist. The Dogs would spend the better part of the remainder of the period peppering Dyson with point blank chances in tight but they couldn’t build on the lead. Late in the frame the Eagles trimmed the lead to 4-2 on the rush as Rebagliati made a good first save on a Brandon Morley shot from the right wing, but the rebound ended up on the tape of Brett Mulcahy who one-timed it into the open side. Mason Blacklock also assisted on the goal at 18:57 of the second.
The third period saw the Eagles come out with considerable jump to try and dig out of the hole, as they made it a 4-3 game just over three minutes in as Demico Hannoun walked into the Dogs zone and cut to the middle before snapping one top corner, glove side on Rebagliati, with assists to Drew Best and Stefan Burzan 3:14 in. The Eagles would go to the power play to try and equalize minutes afterwards but the penalty kill held the lead. The Dogs would fire back to make it 5-3 just past the midway mark of the frame when Nathan Craft raced into the zone and stole the puck from the Eagles defence behind the net and then walked out front where he snuck one short-side under the arm of Dyson. The goal was unassisted at 10:32 of the third. That goal would prove huge as just two minutes later it was a one-goal game again on another funny goal as Devon Toews one-timed a bouncing puck as it hit the ice in the slot in the Dogs zone past a shocked Rebagliati with 7:11 to play in the third. Like the Nathan Craft goal, this one was also unassisted. The Dogs would hold the fort for the remainder of regulation to make the lead stand for the 5-4 final.
Final shots favoured the Eagles 42-31 with Brad Rebagliati picking up his first career BCHL win in goal while Edward Dyson took the loss. Special teams were just that as the Dogs went 2 for 4 on the power play and a perfect 4 for 4 on the penalty kill.
The Dogs remain on the road to kick off next week as they are in Cowichan on Friday for their first visit of the regular season to the “Big Stick” before returning home Saturday night for the first meeting of the season between the Bulldogs and Nanaimo Clippers.
