The Bulldogs had an early noticeable jump to their step, as they held an early lead in shots through the first four minutes of the game, with one good chance seeing Julian Benner dance over the line only to be stopped in tight by Ty Taylor. The Bulldogs continued to push, and drew a penalty short of the midway point of the period as Isaac Tonkin-Palmer was hooked from behind while walking in on net. The Bulldog power play looked dreadful for the first minute and a half, as the Vipers out worked them and won a series of battle to not concede their zone. The Bulldogs failed to quit though, and gained the zone on the rush with speed as Julian Benner flew down the left side and behind the net before putting a quick pass out front for Jackson Doucet. He put a quick one timer on goal that was stopped by Taylor, but he couldn't control the rebound as it went cross-crease to the far post where Cole Poliziani hammered it home to make it 1-0 Bulldogs at 10:11 of the first. The Vipers would push and tie the game later in the period, on a sharp angle chance through traffic by Connor Marritt that found the post short-side to make it 1-1, with assists to Alex Swetlikoff and Coleton Bilodeau at 14:01 of the first. The Bulldogs pushed right back, and a fantastic save by Ty Taylor kept it tied as he stopped Jackson Doucet on a deflection attempt on the doorstep on the rush off a pretty set up by Cole Poliziani. The Bulldogs earned a late period power play, and threatened on it but couldn't cash in before the buzzer. The Vipers were penalized at the buzzer, as Mitch Andres was whistled for being an ineligible player for not leaving the ice after losing his helmet. Shots in the first were 19-10 Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs once again connected on the power play to take the lead, just over a minute into the frame as Mitch Oliver kept the puck in at the right point and found Jackson Doucet on the right half wall. He would feed it below the goal line for Julian Benner, who took one quick step out front and swept a wrap around through Taylor to make it 2-1 Bulldogs at 1:21 of the second. The Vipers answered to tie the game four minutes later, after a long shift in the Bulldog zone and a post hit that stayed out, as Mitch Andres put a slap shot on goal from the top of the line that beat a screened Lefevbre top corner, long-side over his glove to make it 2-2 at 5:05 of the second, with the lone assist going to Brett Stapley. The Vipers continued to push, and drew a penalty and what they thought was a goal in what was a crazy sequence. I was surprised at the penalty call, as Spencer Hora dove on a Viper who had a step on him and got nothing but puck to break up the play. The arm went up anyway, and the Vipers pressured. Brock Lefevbre would make a save in the crease, the Bulldogs would appear to have possession of the puck, and the puck went to the crease again where Lefevbre was bumped out of position before a rebound went in. After a long discussion, the goal was waved off. I thought initially it was for contact in the crease, but the announcement in the building was due to the Bulldogs having had possession of the puck - I'm not sure that's a call that can actually be made after the fact though, and not in the moment. In the end, it didn't stay tied long. While the Dogs killed the penalty, the Vipers connected soon afterwards as Chris Jandric carried the puck end-to-end and back of the Bulldogs net where he was hit off of it, only to have Jimmy Lambert find it. He walked across the top of the line and to the deep slot where he fired a wrister high over the glove of Lefevbre to make it 3-2 Vernon at 7:56 of the second. Less than a minute later it was 4-2 as a Jordan Sandhu rush down the right wing was defended well by Darren Rizzolo, but the loose puck from the side of the net was found by Derek Brown. He put a quick wrist shot on goal that eluded Lefevbre seven hole to make it 4-2 at 8:51 of the second, with assists to Jordan Sandhu and Jack Judson as John Hawthorne entered the game in relief. He would be very busy for the remainder of the period, and rock solid to keep it a two-goal deficit into the third. Shots in the period were 21-6 Vernon, for a 40 minute edge of 31-26.
The third period saw the Vipers push throughout almost the bulk of the first 15 minutes of it, getting plenty of attack zone time and a good amount of opportunities around John Hawthorne but he was fantastic to keep the Bulldogs in it. The Dogs earned a power play with nine minutes gone in the period and a huge chance to get back into it. They couldn't generate much, or anything on it however. The Bulldogs didn't quit, and generated a couple Grade A chances with under four minutes to play - the first of which saw Julian Benner make a drop pass to Keaton Mastrodonato on the rush that he rang off the crossbar behind Taylor, but it stayed out. Later in the shift Mitch Oliver put a puck on goal that Taylor allowed a fat rebound on to the hashmarks for a wide-open Mastrodonato. Taylor would come up with a fantastic glove save to keep it 4-2. The Dogs would be given a major penalty with just under three minutes to play when Tyler Vanuden was called for boarding on Jagger Williamson who appeared to admire his own dump in and not protect himself as he put the puck in from centre. The Bulldogs quickly attacked and pulled their goalie, and had another series of near misses around the Vernon net resulting in a penalty to Ty Taylor to make it a 5 on 4 for the final minute and change. They pushed to the final buzzer, but couldn't beat Taylor as the Vipers held the lead to the final buzzer.
Final shots were 43-32 Vernon, with Brock Lefevbre taking the loss while Ty Taylor picked up the win. The Bulldogs went 2 for 4 on the power play, while Vernon went 0 for 3.
The Bulldogs conclude their weekend tomorrow afternoon in West Kelowna for a 2:30 start.
Hammer
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