Bulldogs streak snapped at seven with 4-3 shoot out loss to Vipers

The Vipers had an immediate jump to their step to start the game, and put some early pressure on due  to it. It was the Bulldogs who struck first to lead 1-0 however, as Caige Sterzer carried the puck up the right wing and  behind  the net before playing it  back to the left point for  Moe Acee. He went  D-to-D across the line for Carson Hemenway, who took the pass off his skate and banked it down the right wing behind the net. Isaac Pascoal would retreive it, and put a pass against the grain out front past the near post where it was one-timed home five-hole through Cole Steinke by Austin Spiridakis to make it 1-0 at 2:10 of the first. As the period wore on, the Vipers  continued to carry the play, getting a handful of opportunities but being unable to beat Luke Pearson who was rock solid with the Vipers running up an 11-2 edge in shots. The Vipers earned the game's first power play in the back half of the first, but the Bulldogs killed it  off and didn't give up much. They earned their first power play two minutes later, but couldn't get much going before they were penalized themselves bringing about  a short four-aside scenario. The Vipers would make good on the short power play that followed as they converted on  the rush with a cross-ice pass being thrown on net by Connor Marritt  from the left circle. Pearson would make the first save, but Dawson Holt made no  mistake on the rebound in  the paint to make it 1-1 at  18:12 of the first, with Brett Fudger also drawing an assist. Shots in the period were 19-6 Vipers.

The Bulldogs couldn't make a short power play that carried over work to start the second, before the Vipers took the lead back seconds later in controversial fashion - at least from the Bulldog perspective as Cameron MacDonald put a head-high spinning wrist shot on net from outside the top of the right circle. It appeared to be over the net, with Luke Pearson putting his arms above his head in an attempt to make the save. He couldn't get anything on it, as Connor Marritt deflected it home. It certainly looked to be a high-stick, and Pearson  agreed but none of the four Officials thought so as the goal would stand after a long discussion at  centre ice. The Bulldogs would earn an almost immediate power play, and made good on it quickly as a passionate battle was won by Olivier Fizet and Caige Sterzer to hold the line. Josh Zary would find it  on the left half-wall, before walking to  the net where he fired a quick one short-side off Steinke and in to make it 2-2 at 3:12 of the second. There would be  no  scoring the  remainder of the period,  with the chances few and far between. The most notable being an in-alone chance by Olivier Fizet who split the defence and fought in alone where Steinke made a big save to  keep it 2-2. The Bulldogs earned a power play late in the period that carried over to start the third. Shots in the period were 12-5 Vipers, for a  31-11 Vernon advantage into the third.


Once again the Bulldog power play failed to threaten to start the third. The Vipers would get a great chance just short of five minutes into the period, but Luke Pearson came up with a glove save on a partial breakaway down the left wing for Dawson Holt. The Vipers had a flurry of chances in the following minutes, but Pearson was fantastic to preserve the tie. The Vipers drew a power play a minute later, but the Bulldogs didn't give up much in killing it off. As the third period wore on, the Bulldogs suddenly  found their legs and looked like the better team. They won successive draws in the Vipers end, and earned momentum with time spent in the attacking zone. The score remained tied into the late stages of the third, when the Bulldogs finally took the lead back with three minutes to play as Isaac Pascoal poked the puck ahead up the right wing for Tommy Bannister. He would walk wide over the Vipers line before putting a beautiful saucer pass to the far post for Austin Spiridakis who made no mistake in one-timing it home high, short-side past the blocker of Steinke to make it 3-2 at 16:57 of the third. The Vipers wouldn't go away though, as they got the goalie out for the extra attacker and found the equalizer on a centering pass that Cameron MacDonald one-timed home after regaining his footing seconds after going down in an attempt to draw a penalty, short-side past the glove of Pearson at 18:47 of the third with assists to Christian Felton and Matt Kowalski. Shots in the third were 14-10 Vipers, for a 45-21 advantage after 60 minutes.


The overtime period was a bit of a snoozer as the Vipers controlled the  opening draw and while the Bulldogs made several good defensive plays, they didn't succeed often in getting possession. When they did, they had their chances, as Mitchel Deelstra drove in alone on net down the left wing but couldn't fight off a stick across his body and arms to get a shot away. The Bulldog fans were up in arms later in the period, as Caige Sterzer appeared to have a step around a defender only to have his stick slashed out of his hands but he was unable to draw a penalty. Shots in overtime were 1-0 Vipers, for a  46-21 advantage after 65 minutes  as the game went to a shoot out.

The Bulldogs had  the early advantage on a Dawson Tritt goal and Luke Pearson save. Ryan Doolin gave the Bulldogs an advantage, but the Vipers answered. Mitchel Deelstra again scored, but the Vipers stayed alive with a response. The Bulldogs would fail to score, and the Vipers would win it when Nicholas Kent beat Pearson with a quick release glove side for the game winner.

Final shots were 46-21 Vernon, with Luke Pearson taking the loss while Cole Steinke earned the win. The Bulldogs went 1 for 5 on the power play while the Vipers went 1 for 4.

The Bulldogs are next in action Friday night when they visit the Clippers in Nanaimo.

Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs host Vipers tonight to conclude weekend

It's the fifth game this season against an Interior Conference opponent, and the ninth out-of-conference game for the Bulldogs (10-8-0-0, 3rd Island) as they host the Vernon Vipers (9-6-0-0, 5th Interior) for the first of two meetings between the teams this season.

The Bulldogs were in action last night at home, where they stretched their winning streak to  seven straight, while extending their season-long unbeaten streak on home ice to eight games with a 4-3 win over the Cowichan Valley Capitals. 

The Vipers were in Powell  River, where they won their  sixth in a row, 5-3 over the Kings.


It's an interesting story when one looks into the Vipers schedule this season. The Vipers entered play last night on a five game winning streak - it was preceeded by a four game losing streak. They were in Powell River last night, where they began an ELEVEN game road trip - holy cow. They've already played nine road games - but they've only been out of the Interior Conference once, to Chilliwack. When they return home after their eleven straight on the road run is complete, they'll play 22 of their final 33 games at home.

A must read to catch up on all things Vipers, is the Vipers Die Hard Fan blog

The full crew will be back in the broadcast booth tonight - I'll handle the hosting and play-by-play, Bruce MacDonald takes care of game analysis and colour commentary and Dan Tisserand compiles player and team statistics. Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM is on the air at 6:45 for the pregame show, with all the game action to follow after the puck drop at 7:00pm.

This Week's episode of the Island Division This Week is our 2nd Intermission feature - if you haven't heard it yet, the premise is simple. It's a compilation of previews, recaps and highlights from all the Island Division broadcasters, courtesy of Dan Marshall, Nanaimo Clippers play-by-play voice on our sister station, 106.9 The Wolf FM in Nanaimo. 

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

____________________________________________________________

Hammer

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

*UPDATED with HIGHLIGHTS* Bulldogs win seventh straight, eighth straight on home ice 4-3 over Capitals

I'm hittin' the hay... but got the highlights done! 

Enjoy! 

Hammer

The Bulldogs got the puck in deep off the opening draw, and had a promising chance from in tight that appeared to hit something and not end up on Zach Borgiel's net. The Capitals had an opportunity of their own a minute later, with a Clark Webster point shot hitting the post behind Jackson Glassford but staying out. There wasn't much in the way of offense either way through the first ten minutes, but the Capitals struck in transition to open the scoring  just short of six minutes in as Will Arquiett took a Primo Self head-man pass up the right wing before putting a pretty feed onto  the stick of Tanner Sidaway in alone behind the Bulldog defence where he put a high backhand over the glove of Glassford to make it 1-0 at 5:39 of the  first. A minute later, the first fight off the season for the Bulldogs saw  Caige Sterzer and Cole Broadhurst  drop the gloves. The Bulldogs would tie the game just past the midway point of the period,  with a delayed penalty on the way as Tyler Kostelecky set up Dawson Tritt  in the slot. His  backdoor pass went wide, but rimmed to the left half-wall where Moe Acee one-timed it on goal with  Borgiel not yet recovered, making it 1-1 at 10:58 of the  first. The score  stayed that way into the late stages, with the Bulldogs unable to generate a shot on a power  play. The Capitals  would take the lead back with 39 seconds to play in  the period on a power play of their own, as the Bulldogs killed it down to the final five seconds but couldn't clear the zone before a  Tyrell Boucher shot from the deep slot was stopped by Glassford, but Cruze Cote found it on  the goal line off the post and jammed it home to make it 2-1 after one, with Brady Lynn also drawing an assist at 19:21 of the first. Shots in the period were 11-6 Capitals.


The second period saw the Capitals continue to have a  slight edge in the play through the early stages of the period, but the Bulldogs responded to tie the game  after a couple solid shifts as Jackson Doucet threw a shot on net from the  right circle that was stopped by Borgiel, but Dawson Tritt found the  rebound and slit it home inside the near post past his right toe to make it 2-2, with Tyler Kostelecky also drawing an assist at 5:53 of the first. Less than two minutes later the Bulldogs took the lead after a long sequence in the Capitals zone and a series of near-misses as Moe Acee kept the puck in at the left point and threw it on net where Dawson Tritt found the rebound and took the extra split second to read the play and put his stick between his legs while spinning off the right post to lift it over Borgiel for a  highlight reel goal to make  it 3-2 at 7:06 of the second. Two  minutes later, Brady Lynn would go after Tritt, taking him down initially away from the puck, then grabbing him by the jersey and dropping his gloves and throwing a sucker punch. He would appear to get off easy, earning two minutes for roughing and two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Bulldogs would threaten and have several glorious looks around the net, but weren't able to pad their lead.  Late in the period, another after the whistle skirmish saw the Capitals penalized, with the Bulldogs again having a couple good looks  around the net but being able to find it before the period expired. Shots in the second were  15-7 Bulldogs,  for a 21-18 Bulldog advantage  into period three.


The Bulldogs couldn't cash  in on the carry-over power play to start the third, but the Capitals were again penalized  on the follow up faceoff on a high stick. The Bulldogs finally made them pay,  as Ryan Doolin made a nice cross-ice pass  through the seam from the right circle to Mitchel  Deelstra. He walked in and set up Austin Spiridakis on the doorstep, who put his first attempt off the post  before making  no mistake on the second chance to make it 4-2 at 1:04 of the third.   The Capitals would earn an opportunity short of the midway point of the period with a four minute power play. That would be cancelled out just 1:05 into it, when Dan McIntyre picked up a five minute major and a match penalty for abuse of official. The Bulldogs looked for the better part of the following 4-on-4 hockey to be in penalty kill mode, as the Caps pressed but couldn't trim the deficit. Jackson Munro was called for tripping later in the period, and  the Capitals pressed to make it a 4-3 game during four-aside hockey as Matt Crasa fought  through the defence to get in alone on Jackson Glassford, who made a right toe save to keep it out, only to have it  bounce off a defenceman and in  at 14:57 of the third, with Nolan Barrett and  Primo Self drawing the assists. A minute later Tanner Sidaway was penalized for four minutes with three and a half to play. The Bulldogs  couldn't generate on the advantage, before being penalized themselves with 14 seconds left, allowing the Capitals to pull their goalie to make it a 5 on 4 scenario. The Bulldogs lost a draw, but won the race to it to clear it, but were called for icing. They won the following draw, but the Capitals fought the puck off the end wall to the front of the net, but couldn't get a chance  before time expired, as one last skirmish at the buzzer delayed the Bulldog celebration.


Third period shots were 9-5 Capitals, for a game total of 27-26 Capitals with Jackson Glassford earning the win while Zach Borgiel took the loss. The Bulldogs unofficially went 1 for 8 while the Capitals went 1 for 6.


The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow night when they host the Vernon Vipers.


Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs host Capitals tonight

It's the third meeting already this season between the teams, as the Bulldogs (9-8-0-0, 3rd Island) return home tonight to host the Cowichan Valley Capitals (10-6-1-1, 1st Island) at the Multiplex.


The Bulldogs last played Saturday night in Victoria, where they won their sixth straight, 6-2 over the Grizzlies.

The Capitals also last played Saturday night, as they dropped their third straight 7-3 on home ice to the Wenatchee Wild.


This is the third meeting of the season between the teams, with each side winning one on home ice. The Bulldogs won the most recent match up, 3-1 at the Multiplex on October 5th. The Capitals emerged victorious in the previous affair, 3-2 in Duncan on September 20th. The fact that the Capitals have lost three straight - and back to back games in regulation for the first time this season - means that the Bulldogs will have to be at their best, as they'll be facing a team that's no doubt equal parts desperate, motivated and angry.

Don't miss a moment of the action on Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM, starting with our pregame show at 6:45 followed by the puck drop shortly after 7:00pm. Dan Tisserand is in the booth to provide period-by-period team and individual statistics, Bruce MacDonald adds colour commentary and analysis and I call the play-by-play.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Graham Turnbull, play-by-play voice of the Vernon Vipers, who the Bulldogs host tomorrow night.

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

Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

*UPDATED WITH HIGHLIGHTS* Bulldogs win sixth straight, 6-2 over Grizzlies

The wheels on the bus go round and round... here's the highlights! 

Enjoy, 

Hammer 

The Bulldogs got off to a hot start, making it 1-0 just two minutes into the game as Dawson Tritt won a faceoff in the Grizzlies zone back to Moe Acee at the left point and then went to the net. Acee would show good patience to out wait a defender and then put a quick, low shot on net that was stopped by Joe Howe, but he allowed a rebound that Dawson Tritt roofed  straight upstairs to make it 1-0 at 2:13 of the first. It was 2-0 just two minutes later, as the Bulldogs kept the pressure up off another attacking zone draw. Ryan Doolin  made several plays to protect the puck on the right side before throwing a pass to the slot that ended up back at the top of the point for Tim Gould. He got a quick, low shot away that missed the net short-side, but it worked out as a perfect pass at the end-board bounce came right onto the stick of Stephen Castagna off the far post and he made no mistake to one-time it home before Howe could recover at 4:38 of the first, making it 2-0. The Grizzlies countered  on the rush with a dangerous chance a minute later, but Jackson Glassford got his shoulder  on a Michael  Hoekstra chance from in tight to protect the lead. The Bulldogs had further chances over the following minutes to build on the lead, but Howe was good to keep it a  two-goal game. The play was somewhat disjointed and sloppy over the back half of the period, but in the final two minutes the Bulldogs were  again buzzing in the attacking  zone, with  the line of Caige Sterzer, Olivier Fizet  and Josh Zary  spending a long stretch to the buzzer in the Grizzlies end. Shots in the first  were 14-9 Bulldogs.


Just over a minute into the second, it was 3-0 as the Bulldogs carried over their momentum from the end of the second as Jackson Doucet took a hard hit  on the left half-wall of the Grizzlies zone to find Dawson Tritt in the left corner. He would walk below the goal line, and put a perfect pass to the hashmarks for Tyler Kostelecky, who made no mistake  one-timing it high over  the glove of Howe to make it 3-0 at 1:07 of the period. The Bulldogs showed no signs of slowing down, and took a 4-0 lead four minutes later as Jimmy Rayhill took a D-to-D pass at the right point across the Grizzlies line from Jackson Munro. He then threw it to the slot, where Tyler Kostelecky deftly directed it cross-ice off the right post where Jackson Doucet lifted it home at 5:13 of the period. Just two minutes later, it was 5-0, with the play starting from the  Bulldog  end as Jackson Glassford made a blocker save to the  near corner, where Stephen  Castagna found it and head-manned it up  the right wing onto the tape of Ryan Doolin. He would jam it past the last Grizzlies defender at the Bulldog line, and skate in alone through  the right circle where he flipped a backhand long-side past the blocker of Blake Wood at 7:15 of the period. The Bulldogs spent the better part of the remainder of the frame in the Grizzlies  end before tempers  flared in the late minutes of the period as  Isack Bandu went over the line and repeately cross-checked Tim Gould when he was down on the ice not letting him get back  up. As Gould finally got to his feet and attempted to drop his gloves, Bandu got him with a stick in the face and drew  blood, leading to a match penalty. The Bulldogs  would have a  5 on 3 power play of  1:09 in duration and moved the puck around well, but didn't get much on net as  the period ended. Shots in the second were 20-11 Bulldogs, for a  40 minute total in their favour of 34-20.


The Bulldogs were unable to connect  on the remaining half-minute of the major penalty to start the third period, but continued to carry the play through the early minutes. The Grizzlies would get on the board just over six minutes in, as  Jackson Glassford made a good first save on Brendan Bowie, but couldn't stop the rebound as Cody Monds snuck it home  five-hole from in tight. Also drawing an assist was  James  Davenport at 6:10 of the third. The Grizzlies came closing to scoring on the next shift, as Glassford made  the initial save on  another sharp angle bid, but a dangerous rebound snuck to the far post and he  had to flash out his left toe to keep it out,  with Moe Acee helping keep a follow-up rebound off the goal line. The Grizzlies would  get back  within three two minutes later, as a turnover at the attacking line led to  a 2 on  1 rush that  saw Edward Yan put a cross-ice pass to  the right side for Henri Schreifels, who lifted an arcing-offspeed shot over a desperate attempt by Glassford to make it 5-2 at 10:56 of the third. The Bulldogs needed a big answer back shift, and got it to make  it 6-2  less than a minute later as Isaac Pascoal knocked James Davenport down and found Tommy Bannister who put a rink-wide pass to the right circle for Austin Spiridakis who snapped it home long-side past the blocker of Wood to make it  6-2 at 11:47 of the third  to  complete the scoring.

Shots in the third were 13-9 Grizzlies for a game total of 43-33 Bulldogs as Jackson Glassford earned the win while Joe Howe took the loss giving up four goals before being relieved by Blake Wood. The Bulldogs went 0 for 4 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 0 for 1.

With the win the Bulldogs have won six straight. They're next  in action Friday at home when they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals.


Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs visit Grizzlies tonight

It's the first visit of the season for the Bulldogs (8-8-0-0, 3rd Island) down to the Q Centre tonight, as the visit the Victoria Grizzlies (6-9-0-0, 5th Island) for the second meeting between the teams in eight days.

The Bulldogs were in action last night at home, where they won their fifth straight, and seventh straight on home ice, 5-3 over the Wenatchee Wild.

The Grizzlies were in Duncan last night, where they won their second in a row, 4-0 over the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

There teams have met just once so far this season, last Friday at the Multiplex, a 5-3 Bulldog win.

I’ll be on the air to bring all the action to you, on Van Isle Ford Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak, starting with the pregame show at 6:45, with the puck dropping at 7:00pm.

Tonight’s second intermission feature is this weeks edition of the Island Division This week. It’s a compilation of recaps, previews and highlights from the play-by-play voices of the Island Division teams. As always, it’s courtesy of Nanaimo Clippers play-by-play voice Dan Marshall, from our sister station 106.9 The Wolf in Nanaimo.

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

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs win fifth straight, seventh straight on home ice, 5-3 over Wild

The start was somewhat tentative, with the Bulldogs having a slight edge in play by forcing the Wild into back to back icings in the first 90 seconds, but the Wild did a good job to not give up much  on net. It opened up a bit at the midway mark  of the period, with a Bulldog 2 on 1 failing to  end up on net due to  a good back check, and a  Tyler Kostelecky breakaway also not making  it's way on Noah  Altman in the Wenatchee net. The pace and crispness picked up  as  the period wore on, with both Altman and Pearson being tested from in tight. The Bulldogs would open the scoring on the rush with under seven minutes to play in the period, as they did a good job to defend their zone and transition to offence as Stephen Castagna knocked the puck loose behind the Dogs net and up the left wing for Mitchel Deelstra. He would get his feet moving immediately and fly over the Wild line before throwing a hard pass to the back  post that was tapped home by Ryan Doolin at 13:07 of the first. It was quickly a 1-1 tie as the Wild answered right  back, as Brett Chorske made a nice play to intercept a pass in the Bulldog zone before dropping it to the slot for Harrison Scott. Luke Pearson would make the first save, but Tyler Young lifted the rebound home at the side of the net before he could recover at 14:29 to tie it at 1-1 after the first. Shots in the period were 10 aside.

The second frame began with the Wild coming out inspired with an immediate push in the first shift, with Luke Pearson coming up with a couple of saves to keep it tied . The Bulldogs would answer right back with a push of their own, spending time in  the Wild end but being unable to beat Altman. They would draw a penalty a minute later, and made good on it on the rush as Mitchel Deelstra took a Ryan Doolin pass and walked in on goal where he ripped a shot over the net, off the end glass and off the back of Altman and over the line to make it 2-1 at 4:24 of the period, with Jackson Munro also drawing an assist. Luke Pearson would come up with a solid blocker save in tight on Ethan Wolthers to protect the lead a few minutes later, with the Bulldogs  continuing to push the pace through the middle of the period, and built their lead to 3-1 just past the midway point after a power play that failed to score, but looked good an earned momentum. Mitchel Deelstra would walk off the right wing into the top of the circle and fire a shot short-side that went through Altman and sat on the line where Dawson Tritt poked it home at 11:27 of the period. Late in the frame, the Bulldogs looked like they were running away  with it as Tommy Bannister stole the puck outside the Wild line on the right wing to create a 2 on 1 that he worked to  perfection with a cross-ice feed to Austin Spiridakis, who one-timed it over Altman from  the left side of the slot to make it 4-1 Bulldogs at 18:29 of the period. The Wild  didn't quit, and just a minute later made it 4-2 on a 2 on 1 that saw Ethan Wolthers  lift a shot from a sharp angle off the right post up and over a sprawling Pearson off a Quinn Emmerson set up. Tanner Main also drew an assist at 19:30 of the period. Just 22 seconds later it was a one-goal game as Trevor Griebel one-timed a shot from the left point on goal where Matt Dorsey put a perfect deflection high, short-side over the blocker of Pearson to make it 4-3 at 19:52 of the second. Shots in the period were 14-12 Bulldogs, for a 24-22 advantage into the third.

The Wild had a jump  to their  step again to begin the third, but the Bulldogs pushed  back  and didn't concede much on their  net to protect  their lead. They would carry the play through the middle of the period, buzzing for extended periods in the Wild end but being unable to pad their lead. Just a minute later, they got all the  insurance they needed on a gorgeous goal on an end-to-end rush started by a solid defensive play by Grayson Valente. Jacob Bosse would find the puck and fly out of the zone up the middle and over the Wild line where he put a drop pass onto the stick of Tommy Bannister. He would drive left and find Bosse driving the net, who cut across the crease and tucked it past Altman to make it 5-3 at 12:26 of the third. The Bulldogs didn't give up much  the rest of the way, with the Wild pulling their goalie with over a minute to play to try and get back into it. They would create a chance to the slot with under five seconds to play, but Luke Pearson got a glove on it for a final exclamation point as the buzzer sounded.

Third period shots were 7-7, for a 31-29 Bulldogs advantage, as Luke Pearson earned the win while Noah Altman took the loss. The Bulldogs went 1 for 5 on the power play, and the Wild didn't earn an advantage.

With the win, the Bulldogs have now won five straight, and are a perfect 7 and 0 on home ice.

They are next in action tomorrow night when they visit the Grizzlies at the Q Centre in Victoria.


Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs host Wild tonight to conclude home stand

(image: Karen Newman)

It's the final game of a four-game home stand tonight for the Bulldogs (7-8-0-0, T-3rd Island) as they host the Wenatchee Wild (6-4-1-1, 4th Interior) at the Multiplex. 


The Bulldogs last saw game action on Saturday night at home, where they ran their winning streak to four with a 4-0 win over the Penticton Vees. 


The Wild also last played Saturday night at home, where they snapped a five game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime win over the West Kelowna Warriors.

If you can't make it to the game, we'll bring it to you - or, get the best of both worlds and bring your radio TO the rink like many fans do, to both listen AND watch. Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak goes live from the Multiplex starting at 6:45 for our pregame show, with the game action to follow after 7:00pm. Bruce MacDonald adds colour commentary while providing game analysis, statistician Dan Tisserand covers individual and team statistics and I take care of the hosting responsibilities while calling the play-by-play. 

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog John Hawthorne (2017-2019), the team's Most Valuable Player both seasons he played here.  He's one game into his NCAA Career with the Northern  Michigan University Wildcats  - with a 1-0 record, a goals against average of 0.00 and a save percentage of 1000% after the Wildcats 2-0 win over Michigan State.  Awesome stuff!

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

Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

*UPDATED with HIGHLIGHTS* Bulldogs with fourth straight, sixth straight at home, snap Vees perfect record with 4-0 win

That was fun..... enjoy! 

Hammer

The energy was high from the opening puck drop, with the Vees putting a couple of pucks on net in the early minutes but Luke Pearson was solid. Neither team had much in the way of control of the game, but the Bulldogs started to push the pace and earned a power play opportunity. Luke Pearson would make the biggest save on it, stopping Jackson Neidermayer on a breakaway off a Bulldog turnover in their zone to keep it scoreless. The Vees went to the power play next, but it was the Bulldogs who opened the scoring as Tim Gould knocked the puck out of the zone at the Bulldog line up the right wing for Dawson Tritt. He would race in alone and make no mistake on the breakaway, going high glove side, bar and in for his second shorthanded goal in as many games to make it 1-0 Bulldogs at 8:38 of the first. Four minutes later, it was Tritt again as he made a silky stickhandling move to make a defender miss at the Bulldog blue line. He then carried the puck over the Vees line up the right side before rimming it to the left half-wall. Moe Acee flew off the bench to win a race and take a hit to keep the play alive, allowing Caige Sterzer to carry it behind the net and out the near side before throwing a spinning backhand pass across the crease that was tipped to the far post by Jackson Doucet, onto the tape of Tritt who made no mistake in hitting the open side to make it 2-0 at 12:56 of the first. The Bulldogs would earn back-to-back power play chances later in the period, but sputtered on them and lost momentum, before Penticton earned a power play  of their own late in the frame. Shots in the period were 11-9 Vees.

The Bulldogs killed off a Vees power play to start the second, with Pearson making two great saves in front, first of Jay O'Brien, and then a follow up rebound for David Silye at the side of the net. The Bulldogs pushed back, and drew power play after power play opportunity, and looked progressively better on each one, but it remained 2-0 into the back half of the period. The final opportunity was drawn after another extended shift in the attacking zone by the line of Zary, Sterzer and Fizet that was followed up by fresh legs off the bench. They would finally break through, with Carson Hemenway making a nice look to the middle before finding Jackson Doucet at the bottom of the right circle. He showed good patience before throwing a quick cross-crease feed  that was one-timed home  inside the near post by Tyler Kostelecky  to make it 3-0 at 11:27 of the second. The Vees would earn their opportunities in the following minutes, and went to a 5 on 3 power play of half a minute in duration, and threatened on it with a couple good looks but Luke Pearson was again razor sharp to protect the lead  coming up with two or three solid saves from in tight. Yaniv Perets - who came on in relief  after the second Bulldog goal - made a  couple fantastic saves on the doorstep  in the late minutes of the period, including on a late power play goalmouth scramble to  keep it a 3-0 game after two periods. Shots in the second were 15-10 Vees, for a 26-19 Penticton advantage into the third.


The first four minutes of the third period flew by, with the Bulldogs continuously putting the puck deep in the Vees zone and salting away time by keeping it there. They earned a power play just short of the midway point of the period due to an extended shift in the attacking zone, again by Zary-Sterzer and Fizet. While they didn't score on it, they came close with Yaniv Perets making a diving save on the goal line on Stephen Castagna to  keep it 3-0. The Vees would earn a power play in the back half of the period and would gamble and make it a 6 on 4 with their goalie out for the extra attacker, but the Bulldogs  defended fearlessly with a series of big shot blocks and saves by Pearson resulting in a bouncer to the blue line that saw Dawson Tritt deflect it past a Vees defender to skate in on a shorthanded breakaway to complete the hat trick with his third of the night and his second of the night short-handed to complete the scoring at 15:49 of the third. The goal  was unassisted - but certainly a couple of assists were earned with shot  blocks in front. A Bulldog penalty followed on the next shift, and the Vees again  pulled their goalie to make it a 6 on 3 scenario, but they couldn't beat Pearson with the killers standing tall to protect the lead.

Third period shots were 9-6 Bulldogs, for a game total of  32-28 Vees, with Luke Pearson earning 2nd star honours with the win and his first career shut out while Derek Krall took the loss giving up two goals before being relived by Yaniv Perets. The Bulldogs went 1 for 10 on the power play and also scored twice while shorthanded while the Vees went 0 for 6.

With the win, the Bulldogs ran their winning streak to four and their season-long home ice winning streak to six games.

They're next in action  Friday night when they host the Wenatchee Wild.

Hammer

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There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

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Bulldogs host league leading Vees tonight

It's the third of a four game home stand tonight, as the Bulldogs (6-8-0-0, 4th Island) host the Penticton Vees (11-0-0-0, 1st Interior, 1st Overall) to conclude their weekend schedule.

The Bulldogs were in action last night at home, where they won their third straight, while running their season long unbeaten streak on home ice to five in a row with a 5-3 win over the Victoria Grizzlies.

The Vees meanwhile began a two-game road trip to the Island Division last night in Powell River, where they won their 11th straight to open the season, 6-2 over the Kings.

If you can't make the game, we'll bring it to you live from the Multiplex on Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM. Our pregame show goes live at 6:45, with the puck dropping shortly after 7:00. 

Bruce MacDonald is responsible for game analysis and colour commentary, while I'll cover the hosting duties along with providing the play-by-play. 

Tonight's 2nd Intermission feature, is this week's edition of the Island Division This Week, a compliation of highlights, recaps, previews, news/notes and stats from the broadcast voices of the Island Division teams. It's courtesy of Dan Marshall, play-by-play voice of the Nanaimo Clippers on our sister station 106.9 The Wolf FM in Nanaimo.

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

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There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

*UPDATED with HIGHLIGHTS* Bulldogs remain unbeaten at home, win third straight 5-3 over Grizzlies

The Bulldogs had a great chance in the opening seconds of the game, as Mitchel Deelstra walked  in on Joe Howe, who got a shoulder save from in tight to keep it scoreless. The Bulldogs were penalized seconds later, as the Grizzlies went to work on the man advantage 43 seconds into the game. Jackson Glassford was tested a couple times on it, and looked sharp, with the Bulldogs then having a great chance on a rush shorthanded in the dying seconds of the advantage. The Bulldogs earned a power play of their own two minutes later that they failed to threaten on. The period wore on with for the most part sloppy play both ways, with another Bulldog powerplay later in the period failing to  generate a goal or momentum. The Bulldogs would open the scoring with just under two minutes to play in the period as Jackson  Munro blocked a shot in the Bulldog end that caromed off Tommy Bannister and onto  the tape of Austin Spiridakis up the left wing for a 4 on 2 rush. Spiridakis would keep the puck and drive hard  down  the wing and right in on goal where he went high  short-side over the blocker of Howe to make it 1-0 at 18:02 of the first. The Bulldogs came close to padding the lead  several  times in the final two minutes, the most notable chance seeing Ryan Doolin set up Mitchel Deelstra across the slot, only to have his shot hit the crossbar and stay out. The Grizzlies also tested Glassford before the period  was out, with a nice Nico Somerville cross-ice set up for James Davenport seeing Glassford kick out his right pad to keep  it 1-0 after 20 minutes. Shots were 9-8 Grizzlies. 

The second period, at least through the early stages of it had much of the same somewhat disjointed play as the first. The Bulldogs again earned a power play, but again failed to generate a shot on it. The Grizzlies would test Glassford following it, but he was again solid to protect the lead through the midpoint of regulation. The Bulldogs doubled their lead with under eight minutes to play in the period as Stephen Castagna made a beautiful outlet pass rink-wide from the right side of the Bulldog zone to the left side of centre for Ryan Doolin. He would keep the puck on a 2 on 1 up the left wing and in to the slot where he snapped it home far-side low past the glove of Howe to make it 2-0 12:34 of the second. Less than two minutes later it was 3-0, on a gorgeous shorthanded effort from  end to  end by Dawson Tritt, who first fought the puck out of the Bulldogs zone up  the right  wing through two defenders, before  driving into the Grizzlies end and making a defender miss before cutting across the slot  and going top  corner, glove side on Howe. Assisting was Moe Acee, at  14:20 of the second. The Bulldogs were sent to the penalty box seconds later, bringing about a 15 second 5 on 3 power play for the Grizzlies. They would make it count, with a single second remaining in the first penalty as Henri Schreifels snapped one high short-side from the right circle over the blocker of Glassford to make it 3-1, with Nico Sommerville and Cody Monds drawing the assists at 14:50 of the second.  The Bulldogs almost struck again short-handed, with Dawson Tritt again in alone on a breakaway, but Howe got his stick on it to keep it out. Moments later, a net drive by Henri Schreifels saw Grayson Valente finish him with appeared to be a shoulder-on-shoulder hit. The back Referee on the other side of centre ice indicated a penalty on the play - a long discussion would result in Valente given a 5 minute major for a blow to the head, as the Grizzlies went right back to a 5 on 3 power play. They would score seconds into it, as Edward Yan walked untouched off the goal line where Glassford made the first save, but Yan tucked in his rebound to make it 3-2 at 18:12 of the second, with Somerville again assisting. Shots in the period were 19-8 Grizzlies, for a 40 minute advantage of 29-16 Grizzlies.

The third period began with four-aside hockey, after a late even up call in the second period. The Bulldogs killed off the subsequent remaining 90 seconds of the Major Penalty, but were promptly again sent back to the penalty box. Just seven seconds into the advantage, it was 3-3 as Jackson Glassford made the first save,  but Bryce Anderson potted the rebound at the side of the net. Darwin Lakoduk drew the lone assist at 4:14 of the third. The Bulldogs went right back to the box in short order  - twice.  Tim Gould got sent first,  and Mitchel Deelstra was sent  40  seconds later on an interesting scenario that saw him and James  Davenport exchanging after the whistle punches. Deelstra was sent to the box, and on the way there the Official signalled an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, followed by a ten minute misconduct, and finally a game misconduct. In the end, he would only receive a roughing call, and the minor for unsportsmanlike was forgotten. The Bulldogs would come up with a big kill to keep the game tied, and get the crowd into it. They would carry the better of the play when it finally  got to five-aside hockey through the third, and took the lead back with under five minutes to play when Caige Sterzer chased down Reid Lindsay and shouldered him off the puck and found Josh Zary in tight where he went straight  upstairs short-side on Howe to make it 4-3 at 15:04 of the third, with Moe Acee also drawing an assist. The Bulldogs earned a power play on a neutral zone hook  45 seconds  later, and put the game away on the power play  as Carson Hemenway blocked a shot that was found by Jackson Munro. He would set up behind the  net  before finding Jacob Bosse in full flight up the right wing through  centre. He fought hard to get by a defender, and drove in on net where he bounced one on Howe that went off his stick and  up through his blocker arm and over the line to make it 5-3 at  16:18 of the third. One more Victoria power play with over two minutes to play saw the Bulldogs defend well and not give  up much to  make the lead stand. 

Third period shots were 11-11, for a game total of 39-27 Grizzlies, with  Jackson Glassford  earning the win while Joe Howe took the loss.  The Bulldogs  went 1 for 5 on the power play and also scored once while shorthanded, while the Grizzlies went 3 for 9. 

The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow night when they host the unbeaten Penticton Vees. 

Hammer

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There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs, Grizzlies meet for first time this season tonight

It's the second game of a four game home stand, as the Bulldogs (5-8-0-0, 4th Island) host the Victoria Grizzlies (4-7-0-0, 5th Island) for the first meeting of the season between these Island Division rivals.

It's certainly.... odd? that these teams haven't seen each other yet this season. The Bulldogs have played thirteen games so far this season, with six of those against out-of-division teams. The Grizzlies have played eleven games, with five of those again outside of the Island Division. The oddity is that they've played Powell River in three of their last four games, and had seven straight road games to open the year.

The Bulldogs were last in action Saturday night at home, where they won their second straight, 3-1 over the Cowichan Valley Capitals.  The Grizzlies last played Sunday afternoon at home, where they snapped a five-game losing streak with a 7-2 win over the Powell River Kings.

We'll bring all the action to you, if you can't make it to the game, on Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM. Bruce MacDonald is on hand to take care of game analysis while adding colour commentary, Dan Tisserand tabulates team and individual statistics, and I call the play-by-play. The pregame show is on the air at 6:45, with the game action underway after 7:00pm. 

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Trevor Miller, the Director of Broadcasting and Communications of the Penticton Vees, who visit the Bulldogs tomorrow night at the Multiplex. 

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

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

UPDATED with Highlights... Bulldogs remain unbeaten at home, top Capitals 3-1

The pace was frantic in the opening five minutes,  with two whistles at the most as both teams got everyone into it early. The Capitals had an early 5-0 edge in shots, with Jackson Glassford being good early. The Bulldogs quickly took the lead a minute and change later when Jackson Glassford left a dump in back of his net for Tim Newson. He quickly reversed it for Moe Acee, who put a long pass up the right wing to centre ice for Caige Sterzer. He would carry it over the line, and cut  across the slot, all  the way  to  the left circle where he snapped a perfect shot, high far-side over the glove of  Zach Borgel to make it 1-0 at 5:31 of the first. The Bulldogs had a fantastic chance  on the next shift to add  to the lead, as Olivier Fizet drove down the right wing and then stuck a leg  out and drove hard and in on Borgeil, who made a   great save as the net was dislodged to keep it 1-0. It was Jackson Glassford's turn a minute later, as a perfect backdoor set up for Will Arquiett saw Glassford dive across to somehow get something on it to keep it out. The rest of the period saw the Bulldogs have the better of the chances, both on the rush, and on an extended attacking zone shift by Tyler Kostelecky, Dawson Tritt and Jackson Doucet, but Borgeil made a couple good saves on scrambles on the doorstep to keep it a 1-0 game after 20 minutes. Shots were 10-7 Capitals.

The second period saw much of the game fast-paced action with chances both ways. The Bulldogs capitalized on a long attacking zone shift with the Zary-Sterzer-Fizet line starting it, followed by fresh legs from the bench, resulting in Tommy Bannister finding Tim Gould, who put a shot on net after a spin move in the right circle that was deflected home in front by Austin Spiridakis in front of the crease at 3:57 of the second to make it 2-0 Bulldogs. That  lead would stand into the late stages of the period, with Jackson  Glassford again coming up with a couple big saves in tight to protect it. The Bulldogs finally earned their first power play of the game with under  four minutes to play in the period. Not only did they not look especially good on  it, they also took themselves off of it with a too-many-men penalty. The Capitals would make them pay for it, as Luc Wilson put a perfectly placed shot short-side high  past the blocker of Glassford  who couldn't see it due to a screen in front. Assists went to  Dimitri Mikrogiannakis and Primo Self at 18:36 of the second to make it 2-1 after 40 minutes. Shots in the period  were 19-7 Capitals, for a 29-14 edge into period three.


The  third period saw Jackson Glassford make a great two or three saves in the early moments of the period, both on the rush and on a rebound at the side of the net. Short of the midway point of the period, the trio of Zary-Sterzer-Fizet again went to work, and spent close to two minutes in the attacking zone to gain momentum. A couple minutes later, it was a 3-1 game when Jackson Glassford stopped a sharp angle bid to deflect the puck back of the net. Jackson Munro would come out with it, and skate it up the left wing before putting a pass onto  the tape of Mitchel Deelstra at centre ice. He walked over the blue line up the left side before cutting across the zone to the right point  where he simply wristed  one on goal that beat Zach Borgeil, who was screened by Ryan Doolin  at  the top of the paint to make it 3-1 at  11:03 of the third. There would be no further scoring, in large part due to  Jackson  Glassford, as the Capitals put anything  and everything on net, while the Bulldogs did a good job of not allowing secondary chances after the first save was made. The Bulldogs were penalized late with 1:05 to play, but did a good job of defending to not allow the Capitals to get back into it.


Third period shots were  19-8 Capitals, for a 48-22 total in the Capitals favour. Jackson Glassford earned 1st star honours with the win in net, while Zach Borgeil took the loss. The Bulldogs went 0 for 2 on the power play while the Capitals went 1 for 3.


The Bulldogs are next in action Friday night when they host the Victoria Grizzlies.


Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around