MERRITT- The Alberni Valley Bulldogs hit the ice on Sunday afternoon looking to get back into the win colomn against the Merritt Centennials. However the home side had other plans.
Merritt would open the scoring just over two minutes into the game on the power-play to take a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs would respond at the 7:02 mark of the period when Ryan Doolin sniped his 19th goal of the season knotting the game at 1-1. The game would not stay tied long, as Merritt took the lead back just 65 seconds later. Merritt would go up 3-1 before Isaac Pascoal notched his 6th of the campaign to pull the Bulldogs within one.
The Bulldogs would come out of the gate firing to start the second but couldn’t solve Ryan Winter who got the start for Merritt. The Bulldogs would give up a goal just pass the halfway mark of the period. Merritt led 4-2 going into the third and had the edge in shots 28-27 after forty minutes.
The Bulldogs would have a slow start to the third but got a quick power-play. However Merritt would score a short-handed goal to make it 5-2. Austin Spiridakis would get his 12th goal of the season and Chase Klassen notched his first goal in the BCHL but it would not be enough as the Bulldogs fall 7-4.
Scott Bird turned away 37 shots in the game. The Bulldogs went 1 for 4 on the power-play while Merritt was 3 for 5.
The Bulldogs have now dropped three straight games and are 25-26-2-2 on the season.
The Bulldogs will return to the Dawg Pound on Wednesday to host the Nanaimo Clippers. Game time is 7 PM.
