(image:Ben Hrncirik)
The Eagles had a glorious chance to open the scoring just 16 seconds into the game, but Colin Winn made a glove save on Leo Eperjesi to keep it scoreless. Three minutes later, it was 1-0, as Zeke Nicholson beat Aidan Fischer on a wrist shot from the slot after good work behind the net by Hudson Closson and Leim Smith. The Eagles would tie it late in the period on an extended shift in the Dogs zone that resulted in Ryan Evenhuis being set up out front where he went high glove on Winn with two minutes to play in the period to make it 1-1.
The second period saw no scoring – but again a Grade A chance for Surrey seconds in, as Colin Winn came up with a glove save on a wide open Massimo Fazio just 11 seconds into the frame. The teams would trade chances through the frame, but it stayed 1-1 into the third.
The Bulldogs came out flying to open the final frame, taking a 2-1 lead when Ben Buckley snapped a shot five hole on Fischer two minutes into the third, with Samuel Leonard and Hudson Closson drawing the assists. Less than two minutes later, it was 3-1 on a similar goal, as Closson snapped a shot home five hole from the left circle, with Wyatt Davis drawing the lone assist. The Eagles got one back just short of eight minutes into the period, as Gavin Rocha buried a centering pass from behind the net past the glove of Winn from in tight to make it 3-2. The Bulldogs kept pushing, and went to the power play when Wyatt Blace was taken down after making a defensive play at the Bulldog blue line. With time ticking on the power play, Caden Tremblay head-manned the puck up the left wing for Jacob Terpstra, who walked into the zone into the right circle before snapping a perfect top corner shot past the blocker of Maddox Osaka to make it 4-2 with 6:24 to play. The Eagles went to the power play late in the third, and got back within one when Jackson Anderson beat WInn with a low one-timer glove side to make it 4-3 with 2:11 to play. Thats as close as the Eagles came, as the Bulldogs defended the lead to the buzzer.
Shots were 37-31 Eagles, with Colin WInn earning the win while Maddox Osaka took the loss. The Bulldogs went 1 for 2 on the power play, while the Eagles went 1 for 1.
With the win, the Bulldogs move on to the second round of the playoffs, against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
