The Bulldogs got off to a great start in the first minute and change of the game, showing some noticeable jump and testing Chad Cromar twice. The Rivermen would get their first shot of the game seconds later, in the form of a breakaway for Alec Capstick that was stopped by John Hawthorne. The Bulldogs would be penalized on the next shift, with the Dogs hanging on with the Rivermen having another fantastic chance as Hawthorne came up with not one but two saves from the top of the paint with his left toe on John Wojciechowski. Another highlight reel stop by Hawthorne three minutes later on a cross-ice set up one timed on goal by Tanner Versluis with his left pad kept it tied. The Bulldogs responded and drew a couple penalties later in the period, and tested Cromar but he was equal to the task as it remained scoreless through 20 minutes, with Langley up in the shots 12-8.
The Bulldogs were penalized twice in the first 30 seconds of the second period the first call being five seconds in when Isaac Tonkin-Palmer knocking down Angus Crookshank quite easily on the opening draw, the second being when Mitch Oliver hacked a Rivermen across the upper body entering the zone immediately afterwards putting Langley on a two-man advantage for 1:39 in duration. It didn't take that long for them to open the scoring as a cross-ice one timer from the right side was blasted home short-side before Hawthorne could get over by Angus Crookshank, with assists going to Colin Bernard and Derek Hamelin 50 seconds into the second. Langley would build their lead to 2-0 at the 5:55 mark of the period when the Bulldogs turned the puck over in their zone, allowing Brendan Budy to put the puck to the middle and onto the tape of Eric Butte walking down the middle where he put a top corner wrist shot long-side over the glove of Hawthorne, with John Wojciechowski also assisting. Hard to understand Officiating prevailed throughout the period, with the Bulldogs on the short end of the calls. They did earn a power play after a soft call on a slash led to a 10 minute misconduct and an equally soft call the other way against Langley , but they couldn't find the net to make a game of it. Just prior to the Media Timeout Isaac Tonkin-Palmer was buried in front of his net with a crosscheck across the head eerily similar to what he was called for to open the period, but no call was made. As a result, The Rivermen would go up 3-0 just seconds later, with 7:14 to play in the period when a pass to the slot by Angus Crookshank was one-timed past the glove of Hawthorne by Brendan Budy. An assist on the play also went to John Wojciechowski to complete the scoring in the period. Shots in the frame were 16-12 Bulldogs, for a 26-24 Rivermen advantage after 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs finally connect to make a game of it - or one would have hoped - as they made it 3-1 with a good effort by Cole Poliziani to win a battle back of the net to fight the puck back to the right point for Logan Cursley. He would feed it down the wall for Cayden Kraus, who walked into the deep slot where he ripped home a perfect short high short-side over the glove of Cromar at 5:38 of the third. The goal didn't lead to any momentum for the Bulldogs unfortunately, as the Rivermen pushed right back with a long shift in the attacking zone that led to a 4-1 lead on a beautiful set up to the back post by Angus Crookshank that was one-timed in on a deflection by Nicholas Ponak at 7:25 of the third, with Colin Bernard also drawing an assist. Less than a minute later it was 5-1 on a tough luck goal as Brady Berger attempted to throw the puck to the slot where it hit a Bulldog defender's stick and the back of Hawthorne and in to make it 5-1. Not only was one assist given on the play to Spencer Berry, but a second was later added to Eric Butte on the play at 8:10 of the third to complete the scoring.
Final shots were 40-29 Rivermen, with John Hawthorne taking the loss while Chad Cromar earned 3rd star honours with the win. The Bulldogs went 0 for 5 on the power play while the Rivermen went 1 for 7.
The Bulldogs are next in action Wednesday night when they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
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