Bulldogs visit Capitals tonight to kick off three game series

It's the first of three meetings between these Island Division rivals in just a four day span, as the Bulldogs (12-23-3-4, 4th Island) visit the Capitals (8-30-3-2, 5th Island) tonight at the Island Savings Centre. The Capitals will return the favour and visit the Dog Pound on Friday night, before both teams turn around and get back to Duncan for the rubber match Saturday night.

The Bulldogs were last in action Saturday night, when they snapped a four game losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The Capitals were in Surrey Sunday, where they concluded a three game road trip with their second straight loss, 7-0 to the Surrey Eagles. 

It goes without saying that this three game series is monumental when it comes to the Island Division standings. The Bulldogs are ten games points up on the Capitals, and there's a trio of four point games between the teams. Perhaps the best approach is not to look at it as a three game series, but just one game at a time. You can bet that the Bulldogs will need to up their desperation and intensity level, as I'm sure the Capitals will be treating these as must-win, Game 7 type contests.

The last meeting between the teams was a 4-2 Bulldog win at the Dog Pound on December 16th. The last meeting in Duncan was a 4-4 tie on November 22nd. The Bulldogs have a record of 4-0-0-1 in the season series.

The puck drops shortly after 7:00 - which means Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak goes live at 6:45 for our pregame show. I'll call the play-by-play, Dan Tisserand will tabulate team and individual statistics.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Justis Doucet, the play-by-play voice of the Cowichan Valley Capitals - yes, he's also the brother of Bulldog Forward Jackson.

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.hockeytv.com

The Bulldogs also announced another commit for next season last night - welcome Ethan Jang! Read more below. 

FERNIE GHOSTRIDERS' LEFT WINGER ANNOUNCED AS THIRD COMMIT FOR 2018/19 SEASON

Port Alberni, BC – The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are pleased to announce  
that 2001-born forward Ethan Jang has committed to join the team for  
the 2018/19 British Columbia Hockey League season.

Jang is currently playing in his rookie season with the Fernie  
Ghostriders of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, where  
he has scored seven goals and added three assists in 30 regular season  
games. He recently represented the league's Kootenay Conference in the  
2018 KIJHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna.

"Ethan plays an aggressive, in-your-face style and skates very well  
for his age," says Bulldogs head coach Matt Hughes. "He stepped into  
our lineup back in October as an affiliate player against a good  
Wenatchee team and his speed and compete level stood out immediately.  
He plays with intensity, finishes checks and has a ton of potential to  
be a contributor in all facets of the game. We're excited to see Ethan  
continue his development in a Bulldogs uniform."

The 16-year old spent the 2016/17 season with the BC Major Midget  
League's Kootenay Ice, where he scored 14 goals and finished with 29  
points in 39 regular season games. His goals total ranked sixth among  
all 2001-born players in the league, while his points total ranked  
fifth.

"Committing to the Bulldogs is a great feeling for sure," says Jang,  
who describes himself as a quick North-South skater known for taking  
the body and providing energy for his teammates. "My family and I  
believe that the Alberni Valley is the right place for me to play and  
develop as a player. Living on Vancouver Island and meeting new people  
will also be a great experience."

Jang enjoyed his first taste of BCHL action against the Wild and is  
looking forward to making the jump full-time: "Stepping on the ice and  
playing in a faster-paced game was a great feeling," he says. "I felt  
comfortable out there, and just being with the guys joking around was  
a experience I will not forget."

"We'd like to congratulate Ethan on his commitment to the Bulldogs,"  
says Ghostriders head coach Craig Mohr. "Alberni Valley will be  
getting a fast skating, hard hitting left winger. Ethan leads our team  
in shorthanded goals and is consistently our leading hitter in most  
games. Not only are the Bulldogs getting a great player, they’re also  
getting a great person."

Jang will continue to play for the Ghostriders and be available to  
play BCHL games as an affiliate player this season before joining the  
Bulldogs full-time next year.

***

For more information, please contact:

Matt Hughes

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