Game Day #13 Bulldogs @ Clippers. Midget Bulldogs Update

The Bulldogs are back at it tonight at the Frank Crane Arena for their second meeting of the season with the Nanaimo Clippers. Game time is 7:00, so that means the pregame show on Port Alberni Safeway Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM is at 6:45pm PST.

Here's a great preview article on tonight's game courtesy of the Nanaimo Daily News and writer Michael Rhode. Click HERE to read it.

An update now on the Midget and Bantam Bulldogs...Thanks to Simon for the update.

MIDGETS TOP POOL IN COMOX TOURNEY

The Midget A Bulldogs competed in the Comox MHA Tournament on Thanksgiving weekend and proved they can compete with the best by finishing first in their pool. Playing without several players, the team demonstrated its depth by giving an outstanding performance all weekend. They opened against a strong Ridge Meadows team on Saturday, pulling off a 3-1 victory in a penalty filled game. It was well into the second period before Leo Fitzgerald scored the first goal, with assists from Dustin Diemert and Darin Oscienny. Myles Fitzgerald opened the third period with a power play goal on assists from Keenan McConnell and Ryan Campbell. Ridge Meadows narrowed the Alberni lead to one soon after, before Leo struck again, this time assisted on the short handed goal by Myles and Diemert.

Saturday evening Alberni faced off with the Cowichan Capitals. Kody Isherwood struck first for the Bulldogs at the ten minute mark of the first period, assisted by Carson McCulloch and Boden Wangler. They went up by two on Catlin McLeod’s goal near the end of the period. Assists went to Oscienny and Troy Rata. Cowichan evened it up early in the second period before the Bulldogs went ahead on Oscienny’s second goal, this time assisted by Jeff Dagg and McConnell. The Bulldogs held on to their lead until the dying seconds of the third period. The Capitals pulled their goalie and, with six attackers and a little luck, were able to slide one under the goal tender with 20 seconds left on the clock to steal a tie.

On Sunday morning, Alberni dominated in play against the PoCo Pirates. They scored first and never looked back. Myles Fitgerald got a hat trick in the 6-2 win and McCulloch, McLeod and Dagg had singles. Assists went to Isherwood (3), Oscienny (2), McLeod, Diemert, McConnell, Somerville, and Rata.

As the pool winner, Port Alberni faced Victoria Racquet Club in the semi-final. VRC went ahead by two in the first period before the Bulldogs battled back in the second. Leo Fitzgerald and McLeod scored to tie it up, with assists collected by Diemert, Dagg and McConnell. In the third, Sheldon Trees with help from McConnell and Oscienny gave Port Alberni a brief lead before VRC tied it up again. The battle continued through two scoreless overtime periods, before Racquet Club got the edge in the shoot out.

The team thanks Coaches Brent Demerais, Dave McConnell and Bryce Abbot, as well as Manager Janet Fitzgerald and Safety Person Sonia Somerville for all you do to make our game as good as it is.

PacificSport Welcomes Home Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

(Nanaimo, BC) – PacificSport Vancouver Island, in partnership with the Spirit of BC-Oceanside Committee and the City of Parksville, has scheduled a ‘Welcome Home’ event for Island athletes who participated in the 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing. The 5 PacificSport Vancouver Island athletes who competed in Beijing will be honoured at a public reception at the Beach Club Resort in Parksville at 5pm on Wednesday, October 15.

The ‘Beijing Five’ include Michelle Stilwell, Paralympic Wheelchair Sprinter; Trevor Hirschfield, Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby; Mike Mason, Olympic High Jump; Travis Cross, Olympic Freestyle Wrestling-84KG; and Tony Theriault, Parlympic Rowing-Mixed Coxed 4’s.

Stilwell, from Nanoose Bay, was a double gold medal winner in Beijing winning the T52 100-metre title at the Paralympic Games in a record time of 19.97 seconds while also adding the T52 200-metre title. Trevor Hirschfield also medaled at Beijing when his team captured the bronze medal.

“This is the largest contingent we have ever sent to the games”, states PacificSport GM, Drew Cooper. “It is doubly sweet to have them come home with some hardware. But best of all, it shows that the programs and partnerships we have set up are paying off. There are more athletes coming up through the system and we’re hoping to build on these numbers in future games.”

Friends, family and all fans of the games are invited to come for the celebration. The athletes will be available to meet with the public and sign autographs afterwards.

The Beach Club Resort is located off Highway 19A and Alberni at 181 Beachside Drive in Parksville. Members of the media and the public are welcome to attend.

PacificSport – Powering Sport Performance

The network of PacificSport Centres, in partnership with Canadian Sport Centre Pacific, delivers sport performance programs to help athletes and coaches win medals for Canada. Working in support of our national, provincial and regional sport partners PacificSport is creating a stronger system for the development of athletes, coaches, performance enhancement teams and sport performance facilities.

www.pacificsport.com

That's all for now.
Hammer