The Alberni Valley Bulldogs scored four goals in an explosive first period — including three off the stick of rookie centre Dawson Tritt — and defeated the Cowichan Valley Capitals by a 6-2 score on home ice Friday night.
Tritt opened the scoring on the power-play just 5:45 into regulation, and the Bulldogs doubled the lead midway through the period when Keaton Mastrodonato tipped home an Ethan McLaughlin point shot. Tritt then scored two back-to-back, first with a great solo effort shorthanded and then on a power-play wrist shot over the glove of Capitals netminder Pierce Diamond.
Cowichan got on the board with the man advantage early in the second period, but the Bulldogs replied with goals from Austin Spiridakis and Stephen Castagna. Vincent Millette rounded out the scoring in the third.
Tritt finished the night with three goals while Mastrodonato scored and added two assists. Spiridakis and Jackson Doucet added two points each. John Hawthorne turned aside 37 shots and picked up the win.
With the victory, the Bulldogs are now three points up on Cowichan for fourth place in the Island Division. The team is next in action on Saturday when they visit the Victoria Grizzlies.
