The Bulldogs got off to a very good start, running up an 8-2 edge in shots, and drawing the game's first power play that they looked threatening on before unfortunately taking a penalty. The best early chance of the game saw Ryan Miotto set up Keaton Mastrodonato on the door step on the rush only to have Vincent Duplessis go post to post to come up with a big save. The Bulldogs continued to carry the better of the play, but the Centennials opened the scoring on a wrap-around centering pass by Bradley Cocca that was one-timed home inside the near post by Nick Granowicz before Hawthorne could recover at 9:34 of the first. The Bulldogs pushed back, but were penalized on an attacking zone shift, and Merritt made them pay just half a minute into the power play with a broken play that initially looked well-defended still ending up in the deep slot for Nick Granowicz, who lifted it high over Hawthorne to make it 2-0. Assists on the play went to Bradley Cocca and Mathieu at 12:53 of the first. The Bulldogs immediately attacked off the following draw and spent a long sequence in the Cents zone, but got caught pressing and gave up a 2 on 1 that saw Hawthorne make the first save but get contacted by the back-check to have no chance on the rebound as Christian Sabin tapped it into the open side to make it 3-0 at 14:56 of the first, with Bradley Cocca and Nick Granowicz assisting. The Bulldogs didn't quit, and pushed back to draw a penalty. While they didn't score on it, they gained momentum and soon after found the net to make it a 3-1 game at the end of a scramble that saw Dawson Tritt flip a backhand home inside the post, with assists going to Ryan Novecosky and Grayson Valente at 18:29 of the first. Shots after one were 17-11 Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs killed off a carry-over power play to begin the second before drawing a penalty. They wouldn't get on the power play however, before being again whistled for a minor. They would kill off the subsequent power plays to keep within two goals, before quickly responding to make it a one-goal game as Spencer Hora rimmed the puck to the left point, and Mitchel Deelstra raced out and blocked a shot. It would carom off of him to neutral ice for a 2 on 1 rush that he played to perfection, out waiting the defender before sliding a rink-wide pass onto the tape of Austin Spiradakis that he fired home five hole to make it 3-2 Centennials at 4:59 of the second. The Bulldogs would end up on teh short end of a series of penalties through the middle of the period, but killed them off to keep within a goal, with John Hawthorne coming up with a fantastic save on a turnover in the zone leading to a cross-ice one-timer for Nicholas Wicks that saw Hawthorne get his left toe on at the midway point of the period to keep it 3-2. Late in the period the Bulldogs had a fantastic chance to tie it as Jackson Doucet sent Keaton Mastrodonato in alone, but Vincent Duplessis came up with a big save on a backhand deke with his right toe and the Bulldogs couldn't get a bounce in the crease on the scramble as it stayed 3-2 Merritt into period three. Shots in the second were 11-8 Centennials, for a 25-22 Bulldog advantage after 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs killed off a penalty to start the third, coming close on a shorthanded 2 on 1 to tying the game. They would earn a power play shortly afterwards that they looked good on, but again couldn't cash in on. They would again end up on the wrong end of a penalty call a minute and change later, as Mackenzie Wight slashed Michael Van Unen, who then jumped at Wight in an attempt to hit him without the puck, only to miss and end up in front of Wight on the boards where his momentum carried him into him. The Centennials would score on the first power play chance on another broken play that ended up on the tape of Nick Granowicz who walked to the slot and out-waited a defender before lifting it past Hawthorne to make it 4-2 at 6:38 of the third, un-assisted. The Bulldogs killed off the second penalty, and then earned a soft penalty of their own to go on the power play. They would make good on it with a great second effort by Evan Googins behind the net to win the puck back and throw it to the slot where Keaton Mastrodonato ripped it high far-side over the blocker of Duplessis to make it 4-3 at 9:17 of the third, with an assist also going to Ryan Miotto. The Centennials would win the following faceoff, and promptly iced it. The Bulldogs would tie it nine seconds later off the draw in the Merritt end, as Austin Spiridakis got a stick on it followed by Mitchel Deelstra, before it ended in the feet of Evan Googins, who quickly spun and ripped it home high past the glove of Duplessis to make it 4-4 at 9:26 of the third. The Bulldogs earned a power play a minute later, and threatened on it but couldn't find the go-ahead goal before being penalized on a faceoff before the power play elapsed, but they came up with a big penalty kill to keep it tied. The Bulldogs had their chances over the late minutes but couldn't get the winner, before the Centennials found it with 2:05 to play as two Bulldogs went to a Centennial at centre ice resulting in a return pass to Nicholas Wicks up the middle that resulted in a breakaway. Hawthorne would again make the first save, but Brendan Schneider found the rebound in the slot to make it 5-4 with 2:05 to play with Mathieu Gosselin also drawing an assist. The Bulldogs would run out of time in pushing for the equalizer as the Centennials killed the clock.
Third period shots were 17-8 Bulldogs, for a game total in their favour of 42-30 with John Hawthorne taking the loss while Vincent Duplessis earned 3rd star honours with the win. The Bulldogs went 1 for 5 on the power play while the Centennials went 2 for 10.
The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow afternoon in Chilliwack, a 2:00pm start against the Chiefs.
Hammer
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