The Bulldogs and Eagles wasted no time getting down to business with great pace from the get go and both teams having chances both on the rush and on containment in the zone. It would be the Dogs striking first on the rush when Zach Funk head manned the puck up the right wing to Chase Paylor in full flight. Paylor would carry the puck over the Eagles line up the right wing before putting a drop pass through his legs onto the tape of Kurt Gosselin, who walked wide before throwing a puck to the top of the crease where Tryg Strand redirected it through Michael Santaguida. Kurt Gosselin and Chase Paylor picked up the assists at 7:16 of the first. It would be the only goal of the period ,but there were plenty of chances both ways with the Eagles having several odd man rushes while the Dogs had their fair share of them as well, and they also hit the post later in the frame as the shots favoured the Eagles 15-12 after one.
The Eagles came out flying to start the second – pardon the pun, while the Dogs seemed to lose a bit of the pace that they had in the first. They would quickly even the game at 1-1 on a gorgeous play at the net as Tommy Stipancik through a shot on net from the left point that was deflected at the side of the net by Brady Shaw right onto the tape of Michael Stenerson who tapped it home into the open net at 1:07. The Eagles continued to have dangerous chances on the rush as they pushed the pace but Jay Deo came up with several big saves to preserve the tie. The Dogs would answer back to make it 2-1 on the power play when a shot from the line was blocked before a scramble ensued. Out of the fray Matt Hansen would tap the puck into the open side with assists to Manny Gialedakis and Teal Burns at 7:57 of the second. It would be the Eagles turn to answer on the power play six minutes later, once again on a play right at the net as Drew Best threw the puck to the top of the paint from the left half boards where it was deflected home by Brady Shaw, with Adam Tambellini also picking up an assist at 14:03 to make it 2-2. The Eagles would go back to the power play late in the period but it would be the Bulldogs finding the net to take the lead as Chase Van Allen rimmed the puck up the right wing to Evan Tironese. He would head man the puck to Ryan Lough who blew by and Eagle defender up the right wing before centering for Tironese who out waited the Eagle goaltender before sliding it into the open net to make it 3-2 at 19:18 of the second .
The third period saw the Bulldogs push the pace hard to get an insurance marker, but it was instead the Eagles tying it up on a great play by Michael Santaguida who stopped a Bulldog shot and then ripped the puck up the left wing glass to the Bulldogs blue line for Brady Shaw who was unchecked. Shaw would walk in on the breakaway where he went backhand off the post and in to make it 3-3 at 7:47 of the third. The score stayed that way until the late stages of the game when the Bulldogs went to the power play with just under four minutes to play on an after-the-whistle penalty to the Eagles. The Dogs connected to take a 4-3 lead when Kurt Gosselin and Ryan Lough played catch at the blue line before Gosselin threw a shot off the net on the tape of Teal Burns who tipped it home to make it 4-3 with 2:28 left. The Eagles chance at the power play came swiftly, as off the ensuing faceoff the Dogs were whistled. The Dogs would hold the fort and kill the penalty off, but just seconds later the Eagles found the net to tie it up when Adam Tambellini potted a rebound at the side of the net to make it 4-4 at 19:46 with Brady Shaw picking up the only helper. That would do it for the scoring on the game as neither team was able to find the net in overtime. It wasn’t for a lack of chances as both sudden death periods were thrilling with the teams combining for 18 shots. The Eagles almost scored on the first shift of overtime, but Jay Deo came up with a series of circus stops on Trevor Cameron. Deo would also make a ridiculous save on a cross-crease one-timer for Michael Stenerson off a Bulldog turnover in double OT. Michael Santaguida was very busy in double OT, stopping Chase Paylor on a Bulldog 2 on 1 before turning aside Hunter Stewart on a breakaway and keeping a handful of chances out of the net on the ensuing scramble. In the end the game finished 4-4 in one of the better games at the Dog Pound in a number of years.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 52-44 with Santaguida picking up 3rd star honours while Jay Deo took 2nd star accolades. The Dogs went 2 for 6 while also scoring once shorthanded while the Eagles went 1 for 5.
