Dogs host Rivermen this afternoon at Multiplex

 It's the second meeting of the season between the teams this afternoon as the Bulldogs (9-10-1-1, 5th Island) host the Langley Rivermen (12-11-0-0, 3rd Mainland) for a matinee affair at the Dog Pound.

It's the last chance for fans to see the Dogs on home ice until next month, as they will play their next nine games on the road, including two trips to the Interior Division, so make sure you get to the rink! They don't play on home ice again until December 11th when they host West Kelowna.

The Dogs were last in action Friday night in Nanaimo, where they scored a season high seven goals in hammering the Clippers 7-3. The Rivermen are concluding a three-in-three Island swing this afternoon that kicked off in Powell River on Friday where they fell 9-3 to the Kings. They were in Nanaimo last night where they lost their fifth in a row, 4-3 to the Clippers

It's the second and final regular season head to head match up today - the Dogs came out on top in the previous meeting, 4-1 in Langley on October 24th.  

Tune in to 93.3 The Peak FM's Bulldogs Hockey brought to you by Pacific Chevrolet for all the action, starting with the pregame show at 1:45 with the game getting underway at 2:00pm. Dan Tisserand will compile team and player stats, Bruce MacDonald will provide the colour commentary and analysis and I will call the play-by-play.

If you aren't in listening range of 93.3 The Peak FM you can listen/watch the game by:

Listening Live on your computer: www.933thepeak.com 
Listening Live on your SmartPhone : www.tunein.com/mobile/
Watching Live on your computer/SmartPhone www.fasthockey.com


Today's 2nd Intermission guest is Ian Douglas, the play-by-play voice of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The Dogs kick off a three-in-three weekend through the Interior next Friday in Salmon Arm.

Hammer

Midget tourney continues today, Battle of the Badges Guns vs Hoses tonight!

While the Dogs are off tonight, there is still plenty of action happening at the Multiplex. Get out throughout the day today and catch the Midget Tier 2 3 and 4 tournament - for further details, check out the best Minor Hockey Association website in the country run by Roxanne Leyland by clicking here to visit the tournament website for a full schedule and results. 

Teams visiting the Alberni Valley include Oceanside, Ridge Meadows, Cowichan, North Van, Sooke, Powell River, Vancouver, Comox, Juan De Fuca, Coquitlam, Saanich and Peninsula, 

Later on, while the Bulldogs are off from game action they will still be involved in the community and at the rink. The Bulldog players will take part in various capacities in the 5th Annual Port Alberni Association for Community Living's Guns N Hoses Battle of the Badges Charity Hockey game with the RCMP facing off against the Port Alberni Fire Department. 

Admission is by donation - and the game is always fun to watch with some fun and hijinks mixed in with some competitive action so hopefully we will see you there!

Hammer

Dogs hammer Clippers 7-3 in Nanaimo

Tonight's Game Report is brought to you courtesy of the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel 

The BEST WESTERN PLUS Barclay Hotel, the largest full facility hotel in Port Alberni, BC. When staying with us there is no need to give up conveniences you are used to. You can discover treasures to take home at the Alberni Harbour Quay, and then browse our onsite Cold Beer, Wine Store and liquor store or retreat to our Stamps Cafe or Pastimes Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy a snack or to watch the game on our big screen TV. Then, relax in our sauna or pool before settling in our luxurious accommodations to enjoy the vintage wine picked up earlier. That's when you will truly understand why the tranquil setting of our hotel has been called the perfect place to call home. If traveling on business, our Port Alberni Hotel boasts over 4500 square feet of meeting space in four rooms that are perfect for small conventions, banquets, parties, meetings and weddings. AV equipment and catering are also available.

Not the start that the Dogs wanted, as they conceded a goal inside the first three minutes of the game for the second contest in a row. The Clippers would open the scoring on a drop pass on the rush to the top of the left circle for Matt Hoover, who one-timed it low through the legs of Brody Claeys, who appeared to be partially impeded from making the save from a downed Clipper in his goal crease. Claeys would complain to the Referee at the net, but it didn't appear there was any discussion about incidental contact as the goal stood. Chris Dodero got the only assist on the play at 2:31 of the first. The Dogs spent the better part of the first half of the period getting going, but they certainly responded in the back half of the period as they got their feet going and put on a good push. They would be rewarded for it when they earned a power play late in the period. They would make very quick work on it, as just four seconds into the power play Chris Schutz skated into the circle on a saw-off on the draw and cut to the net and backhanded it home five hole on Evan Johnson. Adam Donnelly would pick up the only assist on the play at 15:09 of the first. The Dogs would earn another power play almost immediately afterwards, and had a couple great chances to go ahead but they would get whistled for a penalty later in the advantage as it stayed 1-1 after one, with the shots 10-10.

Neither team would assert themselves and carry the play to start the second, but the Clippers would be given a glorious opportunity to take the lead when they went to a 5 on 3 power play for 46 seconds in duration near the midway point. The Bulldog penalty killers stood tall, led by Brody Claeys who made 4 or 5 big saves to keep it out. Almost immediately afterwards, the Dogs were awarded a power play and they made good on it as Adam Donnelly won a battle in the right corner to dig the puck back to the right point for Paul Meyer. He in turn fed Scott Clark in the right circle, who threw a quick shot on net, low far-pad. Johnson would make the save, but kick the rebound right onto the tape of Chris Schutz who made no mistake firing his second of the game home into the open side for a 2-1 Dogs lead at 11:02 of the second. Less than two minutes later it was 3-1 Bulldogs as Josh Adkins did a great job to out-work two Clippers behind their net to get it out front to Scott Clark, who absolutely ripped it top corner, over the glove of Johnson at 13:24. Just 43 seconds later it was 4-1 when Adam Donnelly found a loose puck after some great work in the zone from Eric Margo and Liam Conrad, and somehow from his knees threw a cross-crease pass onto the tape of Eric Margo who one-timed it home into the open side at 14:07. A bad turnover just seconds later saw the Clippers with a 2 on 0 chance in front, but Claeys again came up with a big save to keep the momentum going. The Dogs continued the onslaught, going up 5-1 less than two minutes later when Margo found the net again as Brody Claeys played the puck up the right wing for Jordan Sandhu and caught the Clippers changing. Sandhu would head-man it for Josh Adkins, who ripped a low shot from the slot on the rush off the right pad of Johnson, and onto the tape of Margo who drove the net and tapped it home into the open side at 15:54 of the second. Just 40 seconds later it was 6-1 as Chris Schutz found a pass from Nathan Dingmann on the left wing wall and put it to the net where Dingmann deflected it home through the legs of Johnson at 16:34 for a 6-1 Dogs lead after two periods. Shots favoured the Dogs 15-12 in the period for a 25-22 advantage after 40 minutes.

The Bulldogs would pick up right where they left off in the second to start the third, hemming the Clippers in their zone and drawing a four minute penalty when Adam Pilotte jumped Nathan Dingmann, who showed great discipline to take a punch and not drop his gloves and punch back. The Dogs did their talking on the scoreboard, with the Coaching Staff deserving a lot of credit to put their fourth line out on the ice. They would reward the Coaches by making it 7-1 as Tristan Bukovec worked the puck to the slot to Cayden Kraus, who ripped a wrist shot past the glove of Jakob Walter, who came in to start the third period in the Nanaimo net at 3:56 of the third. The Clippers came close to making it 7-2 later in the frame, but Brody Claeys made a ridiculous right toe save in tight on Owen Hardy to keep it out. Credit to the Clippers for not quitting despite the score, making it 7-2 with just under five minutes to play when Will Reilly one-timed a centering pass through the legs of Claeys at 15:04. A similar play made it 7-3 when Adam Pilotte put the puck out to the crease for Corey Renwick who jammed it through the five hole of a frustrated Claeys to make it 7-3 at 16:34 of the third. There would be several unnecessary dust ups late in the game, as I didn't think the Officials did a very good job of managing the game with the lop sided scoreboard as the little things were let go, which turned into bigger scrums late in the game. In the end if no one gets hurt, I guess it's no harm no foul. You can't blame the Clippers for being frustrated. The Dogs would be awarded a power play chance with four seconds left in the game, but just won the draw and turned to get back to their end to celebrate the victory.

Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 32-31, with Brody Claeys picking up the win in net while Evan Johnson took the loss. The Dogs went 4 for 7 on the power play while the Clippers went 0 for 5.

The Dogs are next in action Sunday afternoon when they host the Langley Rivermen at 2pm.

Hammer

Bulldogs and Clippers meet again tonight in Nanaimo, Battle of the Badges tomorrow

It's the second meeting in three days between the teams as the Bulldogs (8-10-1-1, 4th Island) head over the hump tonight to visit the Clippers (12-9-0-1, 2nd Island) for the back half of this home and home series.

This will be the fourth meeting head to head match up between the clubs in just 15 days after a home and home series on the final two days of October. They are no doubt getting pretty sick and tired of seeing each other, but after tonight they won't see each other again until early 2016.

These teams were last in action Tuesday at the Dog Pound, where the Clippers picked up a 3-1 win
for the first road win by either team so far in the four game season series.

If you can't make it to Nanaimo, don't miss a second of the action on 93.3 The Peak FM's Bulldogs Hockey brought to you by  Van Isle Ford. The broadcast kicks off with the pregame show at 6:45, followed by the puck drop at 7:00 with myself, Dan Tisserand and Bruce MacDonald handling the play-by-play / team and player statistics / colour commentary and analysis duties for you.

If you aren't in listening range of 93.3 The Peak FM you can listen/watch the game by:

Listening Live on your computer: www.933thepeak.com 
Listening Live on your SmartPhone : www.tunein.com/mobile/
Watching Live on your computer/SmartPhone www.fasthockey.com

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Jake Elliott, play-by-play voice of the Langley Rivermen, who the Dogs host on Sunday afternoon.

While the Bulldogs are off from game action tomorrow night they will still be at the rink, as they are involved in the Battle of the Badges Charity Game in various capacities. If you haven't been out to see this over the last couple of years, I urge you to get to the rink tomorrow night because you are missing out on a fun night as the RCMP and Port Alberni Fire Department square off in a fun game to raise funds for the Port Alberni Association for Community Living. Admission is FREE, and there's some great hockey mixed in with some fun shenanigans!

Hammer

A Pittance of Time....

I make this post pretty much every year on Remembrance Day. Please take a minute today to watch or attend ceremonies here in the Alberni Valley or wherever you are reading this from.

For those attending the service here in Port Alberni, you are reminded to please be seated at the Glenwood Centre for 10:15, as the ceremony begins at 10:30! I have taken my little guy Griff the last couple of years to the ceremony to try and educate him young, but it sadly looks like we won't make it today as he's down with the flu.

This is a fantastic song that very much encapsulates what today is about, and what it might be like trying to observe it in this day and age. Read the story below, and take a minute to watch the video  please!

Hammer





On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a drug store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.

When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect.

Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time". Terry later recorded "A Pittance of Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream".

In the interest of creating a greater awareness of the sacrifices that have been made and are still being made on our behalf, "A Pittance of Time" has been adapted to the French language and titled "C'est si peu de temps". Music videos for both audio tracks too were produced in support of the campaign and a musical/theatrical concert production, "Two Minutes of Silence -- A Pittance of Time", was written for the stage.

"Two Minutes of Silence - A Pittance of Time" combines music and theatre in an emotional production that looks at the folly of war. The inspirational songs and dramatic monologues evoke memories both tinged with sadness and joy that ultimately underscore the need for hope and faith in the goodness of humankind.

Clippers top Dogs 3-1

Tonight's Game Report is brought to you courtesy of the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel 

The BEST WESTERN PLUS Barclay Hotel, the largest full facility hotel in Port Alberni, BC. When staying with us there is no need to give up conveniences you are used to. You can discover treasures to take home at the Alberni Harbour Quay, and then browse our onsite Cold Beer, Wine Store and liquor store or retreat to our Stamps Cafe or Pastimes Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy a snack or to watch the game on our big screen TV. Then, relax in our sauna or pool before settling in our luxurious accommodations to enjoy the vintage wine picked up earlier. That's when you will truly understand why the tranquil setting of our hotel has been called the perfect place to call home. If traveling on business, our Port Alberni Hotel boasts over 4500 square feet of meeting space in four rooms that are perfect for small conventions, banquets, parties, meetings and weddings. AV equipment and catering are also available.

The Clippers looked to have an early jump in their step, and got off to a fantastic start, going up 1-0 just over two minutes into the game. Charley Borek took a hit from Garrett Halls at the Bulldog blue line, but stuck with the puck while falling down and put it deep to the right corner for Devin Brosseau. He would in turn put a perfect pass to the slot for an unmarked Corey Renwick, who walked in alone on Schamerhorn and went top corner with a pretty move to his backhand, 2:14 into the first. Almost immediately afterwards the Clippers would go to the power play looking to pad their lead, but the Dogs steeled their resolve and came up with a solid kill. The Bulldogs would earn an advantage of their own soon after, and came close to tying the game on a back door set up where Evan Johnson made the save on a Paul Meyer shot that then went off the post. There would be no scoring the rest of the period, with Scott Clark also coming close, hitting the crossbar behind Johnson. Shots favoured the Bulldogs in the period by a slim margin of 10-9.

The Clippers once again struck early in the second, scoring on the rush when Yanni Kaldis joined the rush and walked in tight on goal before making a cross-crease pass that was tapped into a wide open net by Sheldon Rempal. Nolan Aibel also drew an assist on the play at 3:37 of the second. The Bulldogs would get the extra two minutes on a scrum at the Nanaimo net on the next shift, but again came up with a solid kill to keep within two. The Dogs then earned a power play shortly afterwards - it was certainly a theme of the game through the first half as both teams had plenty of them, but the Dogs were unable to connect on it.Just short of the midway point of the period a scrum at the Dogs net saw Carson Schamerhorn injured, as he squeezed up against the post to hold off a jam in attempt and took a series of sticks for his troubles. It initially appeared that as a penalty was called on the play as Matthew Hoover was sent to the penalty box. He was shortly afterwards set free however, with no penalty being handed out. Not sure if I've seen that before. The Dogs would earn another power play late in the period, after Devin Brosseau was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct for shooting the puck on the Bulldog net after being whistled for an offside on a stretch pass when he exited the penalty box. The Dogs would make the opportunity count this time, as they won an extended battle in the Clipper zone and worked the puck back to the line for Paul Meyer at the left point. He would snap it cross ice to the right side for Jordan Sandhu, who dished it off to the slot for Scott Clark who was rewarded for driving the net and having his stick on the ice as he tipped it home through the five hole of Johnson to make it 2-1 at 14:48 of the second. Shots favoured the Bulldogs in the period 15-12, for a two period total of 25-21.


The Bulldogs would press with a power play chance just short of the midway point of the third, and had a couple great looks to tie it when Nathan Dingmann was found wide open in the slot on back to back sequences. Evan Johnson would make two great saves, including a windmill glove stop to protect the lead. The Dogs would several chances the rest of way as they continued to push, but they couldn't find the equalizer as the Clippers put in a valiant effort to hold on until just over a minute left when they caught the Dogs pressing and raced up ice on an odd-man rush that saw Sheldon Rempal keep the puck up the right wing and walk in tight on goal where he snapped it home five hole to make it 3-1 with 1:17 to play in the third. The goal was unassisted, but certainly shouldn't have been as it was a Clipper that cleared it out of the zone. The Dogs would push to the final buzzer, but continuned to be stymied around the net as the Clippers made the lead stand.



Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 41-26, including 16-5 in the third period. Carson Schamerhorn took the loss, stopping 14 of 16 shots before leaving due to injury playing 28:49. Evan Johnson picked up second star honours with the win. The Dogs went 1 for 8 on the power play while the Clippers went 0 for 6.

The Clippers snap a four game losing streak with the win, and snap the Dogs winning streak at three. The teams meet again Friday night in Nanaimo.

Hammer


 

Bulldogs host Clippers tonight, Connor Varley interview

It's the beginning of another home-and-home set tonight as the Bulldogs (8-9-1-1, 4th Island) host the Clippers (11-9-0-1, 2nd Island) before the second half of this series shifts to Nanaimo on Friday night.

The Bulldogs were last in action Saturday night at home, where they won their third in a row, 4-3 in overtime over Prince George. The Clippers finished off a three-game weekend roadie to the Interior on Sunday afternoon in West Kelowna, where they lost their fourth in a row, 7-4 to the Warriors.

It's the fourth meeting of the season between the teams, and it's been a home ice series so far. The Clippers won the first two meetings on their ice by scores of 7-4 and 3-0 respectively, while the Dogs came out on top in the most recent meeting, 4-2 at the Dog Pound on Halloween night.  

The last two games between these teams had their share of fireworks, and while it makes for good hockey it's also important to just play the game and be disciplined and not get involved in the extra curriculars. That is of course easier said than done as the level of dislike rises dramatically when teams are playing each other back to back, and often, but one has to think that staying out of the box and staying disciplined and focused are huge keys to winning.

93.3 The Peak FM's Bulldogs Hockey brought to you by Pacific Chevrolet kicks off tonight with the pregame show at 6:45, with all the action to follow the 7:00pm puck drop with myself, Bruce MacDonald and Dan Tisserand taking care of the play-by-play, colour/analysis and team and player statistics duties for you.

If you aren't in listening range of 93.3 The Peak FM you can listen/watch the game by:

Listening Live on your computer: www.933thepeak.com 
Listening Live on your SmartPhone : www.tunein.com/mobile/
Watching Live on your computer/SmartPhone www.fasthockey.com

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Connor Varley, who is in his senior season at Penn State. It sure is incredible how time flies, as it seems just yesterday that Varley was named best defenceman for the Bulldogs in the 2010-2011 season, and now he's a senior in College! 

Hammer

Dogs win third straight, 4-3 over Spruce Kings in overtime

Tonight's Game Report is brought to you courtesy of the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel 

The BEST WESTERN PLUS Barclay Hotel, the largest full facility hotel in Port Alberni, BC. When staying with us there is no need to give up conveniences you are used to. You can discover treasures to take home at the Alberni Harbour Quay, and then browse our onsite Cold Beer, Wine Store and liquor store or retreat to our Stamps Cafe or Pastimes Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy a snack or to watch the game on our big screen TV. Then, relax in our sauna or pool before settling in our luxurious accommodations to enjoy the vintage wine picked up earlier. That's when you will truly understand why the tranquil setting of our hotel has been called the perfect place to call home. If traveling on business, our Port Alberni Hotel boasts over 4500 square feet of meeting space in four rooms that are perfect for small conventions, banquets, parties, meetings and weddings. AV equipment and catering are also available.

A somewhat slow start again to this game, like the night before, as there were a handful of whistles over the first couple of minutes of the game. The Dogs would get their first shot on goal 5:47 into the game, but quickly got into the game with a handful of chances around the Prince George net. The Dogs appeared to go up 1-0 just short of the midway mark of the period as Quinn Syrydiuk potted a loose puck in the crease with Spruce Kings goaltender Liam McCloskey out of position after attempting to play the end-board bounce. The referee in the zone wouldn't count the goal, but also didn't wave off the goal. No call appeared to be made. After a discussion, the goal wasn't counted, due to incidental contact with the goalie. It appeared Nathan Dingmann went through the crease, but I didn't think he caught McCloskey, who I thought just lost an edge. Perhaps Dingmann caught the knob of his stick. In the end, it was no goal. The Bulldogs would continue to push the pace, peppering McCloskey but unable to get a bounce around the net. Late in the period a faceoff win on a second effort by Cayden Kraus saw the puck go to the slot where Eric Margo caught up to it and ripped it top corner, far-side over the glove of McCloskey to make it 1-0 at 17:36 of the first. The Dogs took the 1-0 lead to the room after one, and an 18-5 edge in shots on goal.

The second period saw the Spruce Kings start with an obvious jump to their step, while the Dogs all of a sudden looked to be a step behind. After a chance on the open shift for the Bulldogs, it was all Spruce Kings through the midway point of the period as they ran up a 9-2 edge in shots and scored two quick ones to all of a sudden take a 2-1 lead. They would first tie the game early in a power play chance as a cross-ice pass to the left circle was absolutely pounded on net, top corner over the glove of Claeys by Jake Lebrun. Assists on the play went to Matthew Stief and Calvin Tilsley at 7:21 of the second. Just 50 seconds later the Spruce Kings took the lead when the Dogs failed to get the puck out at the line and it resulted in a 2 on 0 in tight on Claeys as Jarod Hovde put a cross-crease pass onto the tape of Braiden Epp who made no mistake tapping it into the open net at 8:11 to make it 2-1 Prince George. The Spruce Kings would carry the play as the Dogs tried to respond, and Brody Claeys would make a couple solid saves to keep the Dogs within one over the next several minutes. The Bulldogs would earn a power play later in the period and would make quick work on it to tie the game as it took just seven seconds into the advantage for Adam Donnelly to win the draw for Jordan Sandhu, who walked the blue line before feeding it back to the top of the right side for Paul Meyer who one-timed it home with an absolute bullet, top corner, short-side at 15:59 for a 2-2 tie after two periods. Shots favoured the Spruce Kings 13-7 for a two period total of 25-18 favouring the Bulldogs.

The Dogs came out of the gate flying to start the third period, taking a 3-2 lead before the period was a minute old as Quinn Syrydiuk took a head-man pass up the right wing from Paul Meyer and drove the net to score a highlight reel goal after making a defender miss and tucking it home five hole on McCloskey. Chris Schutz also drew an assist on the play at the :49 mark of the third. The Dogs would have their chances to build the lead, including a power play opportunity, but they failed to connect on it. The Spruce Kings would get the equalizer in the back-half of the period when Kyle Johnson intercepted a pass at centre ice and fed it up the middle for Bryan Basilico who split the Dogs defence and walked in alone on Brody Claeys where he deked one home inside the far post to make it 3-3 with 8:13 to play in the third. There would be no scoring throughout the rest of the period as the game went to overtime, with the Dogs out shooting the Spruce Kings 13-6 in the third for a 60 minute advantage of 39-24.

Overtime would end very quickly, perhaps franchise record quickly, as it took just 12 seconds for the Dogs to win the game off a beautiful passing play and net drive. Jordan Sandhu won the opening draw and put the puck ahead up the right side for Josh Adkins, who quickly dished it off for Scott Clark, who pushed the pace over the Prince George line up the right wing while Adkins took off to the net. Clark would put a perfect pass onto his tape, and Adkins made no mistake slipping it home five hole to set off a wild celebration off the bench for the 4-3 win, just at the :12 mark of overtime.

The Dogs went 1 for 3 on the power play while Prince George went 1for 1. Brody Claeys picked up his first win as a Bulldog in net, while Liam McCloskey took third star honours with the loss.

With the win, the Dogs have won three straight for the first time this season. They are next in action Tuesday night at home when they host Nanaimo to conclude a four game home stand.

Hammer

Bulldogs host Spruce Kings tonight, Kurt Gosselin interview

It's right back to action tonight on home ice for the Bulldogs (7-9-1-1, 4th Island) as they continue a four game home stand by hosting the Prince George Spruce Kings (5-13-0-1, 5th Mainland) for the first meeting between the teams this season.

The Bulldogs were in action last night at home, where they won their second in a row 6-3 over the Vernon Vipers. The Spruce Kings kicked off a three-game Island Division swing last night in Powell River, where they fell 6-2 to the Kings.

Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM gets under way at 6:45 with the pregame show kicking things off, and the puck dropping right around 7:00 as Dan Tisserand compiles team and player statistics, Bruce MacDonald provides the colour and analysis while I call the play-by-play.

If you aren't in listening range of 93.3 The Peak FM you can listen/watch the game by:

Listening Live on your computer: www.933thepeak.com 
Listening Live on your SmartPhone : www.tunein.com/mobile/
Watching Live on your computer/SmartPhone www.fasthockey.com

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Kurt Gosselin, who was in the news earlier this week, being named the WCHA Rookie of the Week after making his NCAA debut with Alabama Huntsville. He made quite the splash, scoring twice and setting up two more goals in two wins for the Chargers.

Gosselin was named the Bulldogs top defenceman in 2014 and 2015, and was also recognized as a BCHL All-Star last season.

Here's an overtime winner of Kurt's from last year!

Hammer

Dogs win second straight, 6-3 over Vipers

Tonight's Game Report is brought to you courtesy of the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel 

The BEST WESTERN PLUS Barclay Hotel, the largest full facility hotel in Port Alberni, BC. When staying with us there is no need to give up conveniences you are used to. You can discover treasures to take home at the Alberni Harbour Quay, and then browse our onsite Cold Beer, Wine Store and liquor store or retreat to our Stamps Cafe or Pastimes Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy a snack or to watch the game on our big screen TV. Then, relax in our sauna or pool before settling in our luxurious accommodations to enjoy the vintage wine picked up earlier. That's when you will truly understand why the tranquil setting of our hotel has been called the perfect place to call home. If traveling on business, our Port Alberni Hotel boasts over 4500 square feet of meeting space in four rooms that are perfect for small conventions, banquets, parties, meetings and weddings. AV equipment and catering are also available.

The Vipers were the team that appeared to have an extra jump to their step off the opening puck drop, and the Dogs appeared to be chasing the game a bit. The Vipers would have a fantastic early chance on an odd play that saw a Bulldog forward and the linesman tie up, resulting in a 2 on 1 that saw Carson Schamerhorn go post to post to make a big stop. Vernon would take a 1-0 lead just over six minutes into the game when newly aquired Ben Butcher put a shot on net from the bottom of the right circle that he put through Carson Schamerhorn. Assists on the play went to Jimmy Lambert and Brett Stapley at 6:16 of the first. The Bulldogs would push back later in the period and draw even late in a power play opportunity when Nathan Dingmann chased down a dump in and fed a pass to the left point to Tristan Bukovec. He went d-to-d to the right point for Paul Meyer, who put a pass through the slot that went off the stick of Nathan Dingmann and onto the tape of Chris Schutz in the left circle who wasted no time in firing a wrist shot through the legs of Brendan Barry to make it 1-1 at 15:43 of the first. The Dogs would take the lead three minutes later on a scramble at the net after an initial save by Barry that saw Chris Schutz throw the puck on net from a sharp angle. Quinn Syrydiuk would have an initial wack at it, before Nathan Dingmann poked it home to make it 2-1 Dogs at 18:58 of the first. Shots favoured the Vipers 15-13 after 20 minutes.

After killing off a Viper power play to open the period, the Dogs quickly went up 3-1 as Nathan Dingmann knocked a puck down in the high slot when it was headed the other way and put it to the front of the net for Quinn Syrydiuk. He would knock it down and feed a perfect rink-wide pass to the left side of the slot for Chris Schutz who one-timed it home short side before Barry could get over to make it 3-1 Bulldogs at 3:06 of the second. Despite the deficit, the Vipers continued to push and didn't sag. They would be rewarded five minutes later when the Dogs failed to clear the puck out of their zone and the Viper pressure resulted in a loose puck in the left corner that saw Christian Cakebread set up Odeen Tufto, who in turn ripped a hard cross-crease pass onto the tape of Liam Finlay that he one-timed home with Schamerhorn having no chance to make it 3-2 at 8:33 of the second as the Dogs carried the lead into period three. Vernon took a 31-20 edge in shots to the room, out-shooting the Dogs 16-7 in the period.

The third period saw the Dogs strike just under six minutes into the period on the power play after things got a little heated and a Viper was ejected for a hit from behind on a healthy run on Paul Meyer. Just seconds into the power play it was a 4-2 Dogs lead as Quinn Syrydiuk won the draw to Josh Adkins. He would work a give-and-go with Marshall Skapski that saw Skapski scored on a mostly fanned-on one-timer attempt from the right point that knuckled off a Viper defender and past Barry for his first career goal at 5:36 of the third. The Dogs made it a 5-2 game five minutes later - a season high for goals - when Nathan Dingmann and Quinn Syrydiuk teamed up to set up Chris Schutz in the slot, where he was stopped once and twice by Barry before banging home the third rebound for his first career hat trick at 10:22 with a large scrum breaking out after the whistle at the net as hats rained down on the ice. Four minutes later the Vipers answered back to make it 5-3 - full credit to them as they never quit in a game that didn't seem meant to be. A Bulldog defender stepped up and missed on a check at centre, and on an odd-man rush Bo Pellah made a rink-wide pass that was one-timed home by Riley Brandt, with Ben Butcher also drawing an assist at 14:40 to make it 5-3. The Dogs would seal the deal late - on a play that indicated the character of Chris Schutz, as he intercepted a Bo Pellah pass and skated to the Viper line and instead of firing home his fourth goal of the game he made an unselfish play to set up Cayden Kraus for his first career goal to make it 6-3 with 1:30 to play for the eventual 6-3 final score.

Final shots favoured the Vipers 40-28 with Carson Schamerhorn picking up the win in net while Brendan Barry took the loss. The Dogs went 2 for 3 on the power play while the Vipers went 0 for 4.

The Dogs are on home ice tomorrow when they host the Prince George Spruce Kings.

Bulldogs host Vipers tonight, Spruce Kings tomorrow

It's the first visit this season by an Interior Division team to the Dog Pound tonight as the Bulldogs (6-9-1-1, 4th Island) host the Vernon Vipers (9-9-0-1, 4th Interior) to continue a four game home stand.

The Dogs were last in action on Saturday night at home when they topped the Nanaimo Clippers 4-2.
The Vipers meanwhile last saw action last Friday at home where they snapped a three game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters.

We've got all the action covered for you on Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM
starting with the pregame show at 6:45 and the play-by-play, colour/analysis and team and player stats to follow the 7:00pm puck drop courtesy myself, Bruce MacDonald and Dan Tisserand.

 

If you aren't in listening range of 93.3 The Peak FM you can listen/watch the game by:

Listening Live on your computer: www.933thepeak.com
Listening Live on your SmartPhone : www.tunein.com/mobile/
Watching Live on your computer/SmartPhone www.fasthockey.com

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Ryan Lepper, play-by-play voice of the Prince George Spruce Kings. The Dogs host Prince George tomorrow for the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.

For more stuff on the Vipers, check out the fantastic Viper Die Hard Fan's blog by clicking HERE

If hockey isn't your thing, consider attending the Pacific Salmon Foundation fundraiser tomorrow night - click the above image for all the details!


Hammer

Tironese, Maryna MacDonald win Monthly Honours

A couple of cool stories here - former Bulldog Evan Tironese has been named the ECAC Rookie of the Month for October, following up his weekly honours he earned earlier in the month. The RPI News Release is here Way to go Tiro!

On the local front, Port Alberni native Maryna MacDonald was just named the BC Hockey Association's Player of the Month for October - the first player from Port Alberni to ever win the award! Way to go Maryna!

Hammer

Gosselin named Rookie of the Week...

Former Bulldog Kurt Gosselin (2012-2015) lit it up in his NCAA debut over the weekend for the University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers, scoring two goals and adding two assists.

For his efforts, he was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Rookie of the Week. Get all the details on the WCHA website by clicking HERE

Way to go Kurt!

Here's some highlights

Here's more details on this from the Bulldogs!

FORMER ALLSTAR DEFENSEMAN KURT GOSSELIN NAMED WCHA

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

PRESS RELEASE

November 3, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Port Alberni, BC – The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are proud to announce that former Bulldogs’ standout defenseman Kurt Gosselin has been named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Rookie of the Week.

Gosselin, a freshman defenseman for the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers, played in his first two collegiate games this weekend. Gosselin tied for the WCHA lead with a four-point weekend (2g, 2a) to lead Alabama Huntsville to a weekend sweep at Lake Superior State. The rookie from Brighton, Mich. was one of four freshmen nationally to have a four-point week (one of three who did so in two games), scoring twice Friday and tallying two helpers Saturday. He brought UAH back from a 4-2 deficit in his debut Friday, registering both Chargers goals in the third period (at the 4:00 and 8:46 mark, respectively) to tie the contest and set UAH up for a 5-4, overtime victory. Saturday, Gosselin chipped in a pair of assists while helping UAH to its first shutout since March 12, 2010

Gosselin spent three seasons with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and upon graduating from the BCHL, finished with most career goals by an Alberni Valley Bulldogs defenseman.

In the UAH Chargers two-win weekend, former Bulldogs goalie Matt Larose was also nominated for WCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs congratulate Kurt on an outstanding NCAA debut weekend and will be closely following his progress at the Division 1 level.