The Bulldogs returned home Sunday afternoon to host the hottest team in the league in the West Kelowna Warriors. The opening faceoff showed great pace from both teams, but it would be the Warriors finding the net to take a 1-0 lead as Marcus Basara raced down the left wing past a Bulldog defender and in alone on Brad Rebagliati where he went backhand five hole. Seb Lloyd had the only assist 52 seconds into the game. The Warriors would build their lead to 2-0 on the rush when Max French took a pass and walked into the top of the slot where he snapped a shot top corner, blocker side on Rebagliati. Assists went to Dustin Cave and Seb Lloyd at the 6:07 mark. The Dogs would end up in the penalty box shortly afterwards and the Warriors built their lead to 3-0 when Josh Monk scored on a one-timer from the top of the point with assists to Max French and Seb Lloyd at 9:53 of the first as Jay Deo entered the game in relief of Rebagliati. The Bulldogs would battle hard to get momentum back with several good hard working shifts to turn the tide as the period wore on but they couldn’t find the net to trim the deficit.
The Bulldogs began the second period absolutely flying, getting several good chances around the Warriors net. They would get on the board shortly afterwards as Manny Gialedakis one-timed a Mitch Makin centering pass on net that was stopped by Steven Myland. The rebound was battled home by Hunter Stewart on the scramble to make it 3-1, with assists going to Manny Gialedakis and Teal Burns 1:24 into the second. The Dogs would kill off back to back penalties to keep it 3-1 before striking immediately afterwards as Evan Tironese came out of the box and took a long stretch pass up the right wing from Matt Hansen. Tironese would gain the zone as Hansen joined the play and took a drop pass from Tironese that he threw at the net where it was tipped home Chase Paylor at 13:23 to make it 3-2. Sparks would fly late in the period when Teal Burns threw a hit on Seb Lloyd at the Warriors bench. Lloyd would be penalized as he elbowed Burns in the head when he threw the hit. Burns would respond to the elbow by dropping the mitts with Lloyd, who chose not to answer the challenge. Adam Plant would jump in and be the third man in on the altercation as the players ended up in front of the Warriors bench, where Warrior Captain Max French got involved from the bench, resulting in a Game Misconduct and a Minor Penalty. The Dogs would go to work on the advantage where they tied the game as the buzzer sounded with Hunter Stewart batting in a rebound off a Chase Van Allen shot from the right circle. The only assist on the play went to Ryan Lough, who made a great play earlier in the sequence from his back to keep the puck in the zone at it was 3-3 at 19:59 of the second.
The Bulldogs pushed hard for the go ahead goal in the third period and had several great chances but they couldn’t beat Myland despite several great chances off the faceoff by Eric Walker. The Warriors would in turn race up ice on the odd man rush where Jay Deo made about 3 or 4 highlight reel saves to keep it tied 3-3. The score would remain that way until the back half of the period when the Warriors went up 4-3 as Josh Monk scored on a top corner wrist shot through traffic from the right point. The only assist went to Brennan Clark at 11:26 of the third. Off the ensuing puck drop the Warriors would get a breakaway to pad the lead but Jay Deo came up with a huge stop on Ambrose Firkus. The Dogs would race up ice and tie the game just seconds later as Kurt Gosselin took a hit to keep the puck in and then found Manny Gialedakis in the slot where he spun and fired it home through the legs of Myland to tie it at 4-4. Evan Tironese also picked up an assist on the play at 11:48 of the third. The score would stay that way with the Bulldogs coming up with a big penalty kill to keep it tied when the Warriors went to the man advantage with just over four minutes to go in regulation. In overtime the Dogs carried the play, outshooting the Warriors 6-0 en route to the game winner as Chase Paylor was initially stopped on a drive down the right wing and a cut to the net that brought back memories of Harry Zolnierczyk in a Dogs sweater. Paylor would then drive the net and poke home the loose puck for the game winner, all created by Evan Tironese getting in on the fore-check and finishing his check on a Warriors defender to knock it loose. The goal came at 3:28 of overtime with Tironese picking up the only assist as the Dogs raced off the bench to celebrate the thrilling come from behind win.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 42-34 with Jay Deo picking up the relief win while Steven Myland took the loss. The Dogs went 1 for 7 on the power play while the Warriors went 1 for 4.
