A high paced game from the early minutes. The Grizzlies had he first good opportunity on net that saw Colten Lancaster kick out his right toe to top an Alex Newhook shot. The Dogs earned the first power play of the game a few minutes later. They had a great look on it on a pretty back door set up that saw Shawn Parkinson make a fantatic right pad save going post to post. The Bulldogs would threaten on an extended scramble just past the midway point of the period, with a Jackson Doucet shot getting through Parkinson and sitting behind him on the line, but the Dogs couldn't get a bounce to capitalize on it. The Bulldogs continued to press and had several good chances on scrambles, but Parkinson was solid to keep it scoreless. The Grizzlies would open the scoring with less than four to play in the period on a quick transition from neutral ice that saw Carter Berger feed Alex Newhook over the Bulldogs line up the left side where he snapped a perfectly placed shot from inside the circle top corner, long-side under the bar and over the glove of Lancaster to make it 1-0. Jamie Rome also drew an assist on the play at 16:04 of the first. The Bulldogs responded well to the goal against, as they didn't deflate and pushed back, although they couldn't get on the board before the period was out. Shots were 12 aside after 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs were penalized early in the second, but killed it off well with Lancaster forced to make one good glove save. Before the Dogs could attempt to get back on the attack, they were again penalized, but again killed it off with Lancaster sharp on a couple of occasions in tight. The Dogs had another near miss immediately after the kill on a shot and a rebound at the side of the net that looked close, but again the Grizzlies net became dislodged and it stayed out. The Bulldogs would get the equalizer in the back half of the period off a faceoff in their end that saw Sami Pharaon put a perfectly placed indirect headman pass up the right wing for Keaton Mastrodonato behind the Grizzlies defence. He would walk in on a partial breakaway where he snapped a shot long side past the blocker of Parkinson to make it a 1-1 game at 13:24 of the frame. The Grizzlies would respond almost immediately, with a strong push back shift that saw Lancaster come up with a handful of saves, the most notable being on a net drive by Lucas Clark. The Bulldogs would be penalized on the shift, and were again penalized six seconds later to bring about a long Victoria 5 on 3. The Bulldogs would kill it off, with Lancaster standing tall, and a couple of great plays by Connor Welsh to clear the puck. The Bulldogs would earn a power play before the period was out, but couldn't threaten on it as it remained 1-1 after 40 minutes. Shots in the second were 15-9 Grizzlies, for a 27-21 advantage after two.
The third period saw the Bulldogs come out with a solid push through the first few minutes, but the Grizzlies instead took a 2-1 lead on a Bulldog faceoff win in the attacking end that saw a rink-wide pass at centre ice intercepted resulting in an odd man rush that the Grizzlies worked to perfection with a give and go that saw Alex Newhook take a return pass off the back post from Jamie Rome that he made no mistake on 2:35 of the third. The Bulldog earned a power play a minute later, but again couldn't cash in on it to tie the game. The Dog were in turn penalized two minutes later, but again came up with a big kill to keep it a one-goal game. With just under seven minutes to play the Bulldogs again earned a power play, with a Bench Minor to the Grizzlies bench, but again they couldn't find the equalizer. Shawn Parkinson would come up with a big save on Grayson Valente on a giveaway right up the middle to protect the lead in the late stages of the third, with the Bulldogs again coming frustratingly close to tying the game around the net on a series of instances. The Bulldogs would be penalized with four minutes to play, and the Grizzlies almost immediately made it count to get some insurance, as a clearing attempt was kept in at the line by Carter Berger, who flipped it to the net for Tanner Hopps alone behind the Dog defence where he put a quick shot on net that just trickled over the line off the blocker of Lancaster to make it 3-1 at 16:15 of the third. Just a minute later the Dogs pushed back and earned a power play of their own, but despite pulling their goalie to make it a 6 on 4 advantage they couldn't make it a one-goal game before the Grizzlies hit the empty net on a 200 foot curler by Matt Doran that found the middle of the net to make it 4-1 at 19:44 of the third.
Final shots were even at 38-38, with Colten Lancaster earning second star honours while taking the loss, while Shawn Parkinon earned first star honours with the win. The Bulldogs went 0 for 6 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 1 for 6.
The Bulldogs are next in action Friday in Penticton.
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