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The game was fast-paced from the opening puck drop with the Grizzlies getting the best early chance just over two minutes into the game, but Carson Schamerhorn got something on it to make a desperation save on a cross-crease set up. A good back-check by Chris Schutz a minute later broke up another cross-ice pass. The Dogs would open the scoring just over four minutes into the game when Jordan Sandhu made a nifty play to keep the puck in as he covered the right point, bunting it out of mid air waist-high. Garrett Halls would find it, and walk into the deep slot where he buried a snap shot low, far side past the blocker of Mitchell Benson at 4:04 of the first. The Dogs would have several great looks in tight throughout the period to build the lead but they couldn't capitalize as it remained 1-0 after 20 minutes with shots favouring the Bulldogs 15-8.
The Bulldogs quickly built their lead just over two minutes into the second, as Garrett Halls threw a aerial to centre ice out of his own zone. Drayson Pears went down to one knee at his own line to block it, but he couldn't get possession on it as Nathan Dingmann picked it up and sent Ryan Finnegan over the Victoria line up the right wing where he walked in tight and fired a wrister high, short-side past Benson to make it 2-0 at 2:03 of the second. The Dogs weren't able to build on it, as the paced slowed through the middle of the period. The pace picked up soon afterwards when the Grizzlies got on the board as Alex Peck threw a puck at the net from the right circle to the top of the crease where it appeared to carom off a Bulldog defender and deflect in through the legs of Schamerhorn. Cody Van Lierop drew the only assist at 10:18 of the second. The goal went to the Grizzlies legs, as they carried the play over the next couple of minutes and had a couple good looks from the slot that they couldn't convert on. Through the latter parts of the period the Bulldogs pushed back and had the territorial advantage but couldn't find the net as it stayed 2-1 Bulldogs into the third. Shots favoured the Dogs 10-6 in the period for a 40 minute total of 25-14.
As they did in the first and second, the Dogs scored early in the third as just over two minutes into it the Dogs raced out of their zone off a contested icing call with Tristan Bukovec chipping it up the middle for Chris Schutz. He was initially poke checked, but fought the puck ahead past a pinching defender at centre ice resulting in a breakaway for Jordan Sandhu that he made no mistake on with a silky five-hole deke on Benson to make it 3-1 at 2:18 of the third. What looked like could have been a penalty at the side of the Victoria net went un-called as Ryan Finnegan was tripped up as he had a step and was heading out front. As the play went up Garrett Halls was whistled on what looked like good defence but a crafty play by Braden Gelsinger to chicken wing his stick under his arm and fall down to draw a call - that would end up being the only penalty of the game. It would be guess who - Gelsinger, who found the net on the man advantage as a Cody Van Lierop pass from the left point deflected off a pair of sticks before ending up on the tape of Gelsinger at the back post where he lifted it high, short-side past a valiant attempt by Schamerhorn to keep it out. Van Lierop drew the only assist at 8:27 of the third to make it 3-2. The Dogs would answer back quickly to halt any Victoria momentum as Carson Schamerhorn stopped a dump in back of his goal before rimming it high off the glass up the left wing where Eric Margo chipped it through his own legs to the middle for Quinn Syrydiuk. He would go end-to-end and over the Grizzlies line before walking in tight and ripping a shot on goal that was stopped by the blocker of Benson, but right onto the tape of Eric Margo who drilled it into the open side to make it 4-2 at 10:21 of the third. The Grizzlies would push with the goalie out with two minutes to go and had a couple good looks - most notably an open net for Braden Gelsinger at the side of the net that hit the post and stayed out. Schamerhorn would make a couple good saves in tight on PJ Conlon across the crease, and on a Cole Pickup deflection in tight to preserve the lead. He also got some help on a gorgeous desperation effort by Jordan Sandhu to dive head first in front of a shot in tight.
Third period shots were even at 10-10, with the game total favouring the Bulldogs 35-24. Carson Schamerhorn picked up the win while Mitchell Benson took the loss. The Dogs didn't get a power play, while the Grizzlies went 1 for 1.
With the win the Dogs have won three in a row while the Grizzlies have lost four in a row. The Dogs now trail the Grizzlies by two points for 4th place in the Island. The Dogs are next in action tomorrow night when they host the league leading Penticton Vees.
Hammer
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