The Bulldogs return to action this week with two games on tap, both at home, as they host the Vernon Vipers Wednesday and then the Surrey Eagles Saturday. The Dogs enter this week at 6-19-0 and 1 and on a four game losing streak after going 0 and 3 on their road trip last weekend.
The Vernon Vipers enter this week with a record of 15 and 9, good for third in the Interior Conference. They were last in action Saturday night in Penticton where they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Vees. The Vees jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one with two power play goals in the last half of the first period. They then built that lead to 3-0 just over a minute into the second before the Vipers would get on the board just short ofthe games halfway point as Eliot Raibl scored on the power play from Chris Crowell to trim the gap to 3-1. That would do it for the scoring as the last half of the game saw neither team able to find the net. The Vipers outshot the Vees 29-22 with Lucas Gore taking the loss in net for Vernon. The Vees were 2 for 2 on the power play while the Vipers were 1 for 7. The Vipers are 2 and 3 so far in November. Wednesday?s game sees the Vipers beginning a four game in five day Island trip that sees them in Nanaimo Friday, Cowichan Saturday, and Victoria Sunday.
Wednesday?s pregame show is on the air at 6:45, with the puck drop at 7:00pm. Catch all the action in the Alberni Valley on 93.3 The Peak FM, or anywhere else in the world through the Internet Broadcast on the BCHL Fanzone at www.bchl.bc.ca
Who knows what to expect from Vernon, other than a solid team with a good win-loss ratio. Again, I sound like a broken record, but the Dogs had better be ready from the outset and ready to play a full 60 minutes.
The Surrey Eagles make their first visit of the season Saturday to the ?Pound for what will be the third meeting between the Dogs and Eagles this year after two convincing Surrey wins coming on Eagle ice earlier this season by scores of 5-1 and most recently 6-0 just last Saturday. The game in Port Alberni this Saturday will be Surrey?s third game of an epic four game roadie that sees them start Thursday in Powell River before heading over to the Island and down to Duncan for a Friday night tilt with the Capitals. After seeing the Dogs in Port Alberni Saturday the Eagles finish up in Nanaimo Sunday.
Coming into this week the Eagles have a record 13-10-0 and 2, good for third in the Coastal Conference. The Eagles were last in action on Remembrance Day down in Victoria where they beat the Grizzlies 3-2. The Eagles got off to a good start in this one, taking a 2-0 lead before the first was ten minutes old. First it was Ryan Pajimola making it 1-0 2:55 in with Richard Vanderhoek and Phil Magistrale picking up the assists. Adam Hartley made it 2-0 at the 9:58 mark with Max Grassi and Nolan Toigo setting it up. The Grizzlies got back within one late it the first with a shorthanded goal for a 2-1 Eagles lead after one. The Eagles scored the only goal of the second in the dying minutes of the period with Adam Basford scoring from Cameron Sinclair and Phil Magistrale assisting with 3:25 left in the period for a 3-1 Eagles lead into period three. The Grizzlies would make a game of it making it 3-2 with 9:38 to go but that would be as close as they would get. The Grizzlies outshot the Eagles 43-32 with Andrew Hammond picking up the win in net. The Eagles were 0 for 5 on the power play while the Grizzlies were 0 for 6.
Saturday?s pregame show is on the air at 6:45pm with the puck drop and play-by-play at 7:00. Catch all the action in the Alberni Valley on your radio on 93.3 The Peak FM, on anywhere in the world with the Internet
Broadcast through the BCHL?s Fanzone at www.bchl.bc.ca
One would think that it would be tough for Surrey to NOT take the Dogs lightly, outscoring them 11-1 in the two previous meetings this season, so I would bet that the Eagles coaching staff will address that point. The Dogs have no excuses going into this game. They will be well rested and they are on their home ice. The Eagles are a fun team to watch, skilled and good skating. It?s my opinion that the Dogs will help their chances by being physical and eliminating the Eagles ice.
Audio: ?Last Three, Next Two?
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The recap of this week?s action will be posted on Sunday.
