David Sacco capped off a monster weekend as he saved the Bulldogs night with an OT winner just 58 seconds in to extra time to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 win over Cowichan Valley and a clean sweep of the 3 game mini-series at the Multiplex.
Sacco’s OT winner gave him 4 goals and 6 points on the weekend.
The Bulldogs took a 1st period lead when Nicholas Beneteau scored his 16th of the year and extended his point streak to a BCHL-best 18 straight games. Will Elger and Mason Croucher grabbed the assists.
That was all the scoring until Kai Dunits broke in on Bulldogs starter Campbell Arnold and tucked it past him 6:14 into the 3rd. If not for Arnold making a couple of point blank saves late in the 3rd, the Bulldogs may not have even been in a position for Sacco’s heroics.
It was a scheduling oddity that saw the Bulldogs and Caps square off 3 straight games, all of which were at the Multiplex. The Bulldogs passed the text as they went 3-0-0-0 and outscored Cowichan Valley 15-5 in the process.
The win improved the Bulldogs overall record to 27-17-3-1 and they currently sit in 3rd spot in the Coastal Conference. Since returning from the Christmas break, the Bulldogs are an impressive 17-2-1-0, the most wins in the BCHL over that stretch.
Campbell Arnold earned the win in goal for the Bulldogs as he made 19 saves on the night.
The Bulldogs will need to turn the page quickly as they now prepare for a two-game set in Victoria against the Grizzlies on Tuesday and Friday. Victoria is just 4 points behind the Bulldogs, however they have 2 games in hand, making this head-to-head match up all the more crucial for the Bulldogs.
Lineup wise, the Bulldogs will have Caden Tremblay and Ethan Bono available after serving their 1-game suspensions.
