Please visit the links and support my friends and supporters!!!

Please visit the links and support my friends and supporters!!!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

*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

Friday, October 18, 2019

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

Saturday, October 12, 2019

*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


____________________________________________________________


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 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




____________________________________________________________


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

Friday, October 11, 2019

*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

____________________________________________________________


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

Saturday, October 05, 2019

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

Thursday, October 03, 2019

Bulldogs finally back home, host Capitals tonight




After back to back road trips, and five straight games over the last two weeks away from home, the Bulldogs (4-8-0-0, 4th Island) return to Multiplex ice tonight to host the Cowichan Valley Capitals (9-3-0-0, 1st Island) for the first time this season.


The Bulldogs last played Thursday afternoon/evening at the Showcase in Chilliwack, where they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Merritt Centennials.

The Capitals were also playing at the same time in Chilliwack, where they topped the Surrey Eagles by a 4-2 score.


It'll be fun to get back within the friendly confines of the Multiplex, and to have some company in the booth as well. Bruce MacDonald takes care of game analysis and adds colour commentary, while I provide the play-by-play. The pregame show begins the broadcast at 6:45, with the puck dropping shortly after 7:00pm on 93.3 The Peak FM's Bulldogs Hockey, brought to you by Pacific Chevrolet. 

Tonight's 2nd Intermission feature is this week's edition of The  Island Division This Week, courtesy of Dan Marshall at 106.9 The Wolf in Nanaimo, and the Island Division broadcasters for their submissions. 




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

Bulldogs top Centennials 4-1



The Bulldogs began the game inspired, attacking early and testing Ryan Winter in the Centennial net. They kept the pressure up, and a shift later made it 1-0 when Dawson Tritt won an attacking zone faceoff back to the right point for Tim Gould. He would simply take a couple of strides and step into it, blowing a slapper short-side past the glove of Winter at 1:21 of the first. The Bulldogs kept pushing the pace, and forced the Centennials into a trio of icings in the minutes that followed, but it was Merritt who got on the board when they raced up ice off the draw and beat the Bulldogs to their net as Brett Roloson skated onto it and in on goal where he beat Luke Pearson high far-side to make it 1-1 at 3:46 of the first. Shots  in the period were 13-10 Centennials.

The second began with four aside hockey for over a minute, and through the bulk of the opening 10 minutes it wasn't played especially sharp by either side of the puck with passes more often than not being off the mark. As the period wore on, the Bulldogs level of desperation increased, and they took a lead as a result of it when Austin Spiridakis fought a loose puck off a draw at centre ice for Jacob Bosse. He would slide it around a man for Tommy Bannister, who flew in alone where he put a deke to his backhand inside the near post to make it 2-1 at 13:46 of the second. The Bulldogs came close on the next shift to padding the lead, but couldn't convert on an odd-man rush. The Centennials countered with a couple good chances of their own, but Luke Pearson made a  couple great saves, the one that stands out the most being off a partial breakaway for Payton Matsui. The Bulldogs answered back, and a long hard-working shift in the attacking zone by the trio of Caige Sterzer, Josh Zary and Olivier Fizet resulting in a penalty drawn. The Bulldogs wouldn't let the Centennials out of their zone once over 1:06 of attack time before they made it 3-1 as Jimmy Rayhill took a Jacob Bosse pass and fed it rink-wide for Jackson Munro at the top of the left circle. The former Centennial would step into one, hammering it long-side past the glove of Winter at 17:01 of the period. Shots in the period were 16-14 Merritt, for a 29-24 edge after 40 minutes.

The Centennials looked desperate to start the third, and for the first five minutes and change of the frame had the edge in the play, but couldn't trim the deficit. Over the following minutes, the Bulldogs upped their game and didn't show any signs of sitting on their lead. They created chances, but Winter was solid to give the Centennials a chance. A 5 on 3 power play for the Bulldogs of 98 seconds saw them move the puck around well, but they couldn't create a Grade A chance to pad their lead. A penalty went against them at the  end of it, but Tim Gould drew  one  back with a solid effort to carry the puck out of the defensive  zone, resulting in  a long sequence of  four-aside hockey. In the end, the Dogs didn't give up much, before  sealing the deal into an empty net as Mitchel Deelstra out-raced  Olson Werenka on a pending icing after an  empty net bid went wide, resulting in an automatic goal awarded when Werenka threw his stick, making it 4-1 at 19:20 of the third.

Shots in period three were 17-5 Bulldogs, for a game total in their favour of 42-32 - a season high in shots on goal. Luke Pearson  earned 1st star honours with  the win, while Ryan Winter took the loss. The Bulldogs  went 1  for 7 on the power play, while the Centennials went 0 for 4.

The Bulldogs are next in action Saturday 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 face Centennials today at Showcase *4:30 start*





It's the second and final appearance for the Bulldogs (3-8-0-0, T-4th Island) today, as they take on the Merritt Centennials (2-5-0-0, T-6th Interior) at the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack. 

The Bulldogs opened their Showcase experience last night, as they dropped their fourth in a row, 5-2 to the host Chiefs. The Centennials meanwhile haven't played since last Saturday night at home, when they defeated the Wenatchee Wild 2-1 in overtime. 

This  game will certainly be "more than just another game" for more than a few people on both sides of the puck today. The Bulldog Coaching Staff were formerly with the Merritt Centennials - Joe Martin was on the bench for eight years while Brandon Shaw was an Assistant Coach there the last two years while Bulldogs Assistant Captain Jackson Munro played 107 games in a Centennials uniform.   

Catch all the action on 93.3 The Peak FM's Bulldogs Hockey, brought to you by Van Isle Ford. The pregame show commences the proceedings at 4:15, with the play-by-play to follow the 4:30 puck drop. 

Today's 2nd Intermission guest is BCHL’s Coordinator of Content Services Jesse Adamson, talking about all things BCHL and Showcase related. 



If you aren't in listening range of 93.3 The Peak FM you can listen to the game by:

Listening Live on your computer: www.933thepeak.com
Listening Live on your SmartPhone : www.tunein.com/mobile/

* There will be NO Hockey TV Broadcast available for this game, or any game in the Prospera Centre's Secondary Rink throughout the BCHL Showcase



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

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Bulldogs drop fourth straight, 5-2 to Chiefs


The game started in as close to the weirdest way as possible, resulting in a 1-0 lead as a Mitchel Deelstra dump in was blocked at the Chilliwack line on the left side. Jackson Munro found the loose puck, and slapped it down the left wing. Kolby Thornton would leave the Chiefs net and stop the dump in for his defence and retreat to his crease. As he was in the process of doing so, Xavier Henry picked up the dump in, proceeded to mishandle the puck, and inadvertenly slide it into the left heel of Thornton, and over the goal line. Jackson Munro was credited with it as the last Bulldog to touch the puck, at 19 seconds of period one. As the minutes wore on, the Chiefs carried more and more of the play, with Jackson Glassford coming up with a plethora of solid saves from all areas to protect the lead. It would take an almost equally weird one to tie the game, as a dump in by the Chiefs down the left wing from centre ice appeared to hit a Linesman before going skyward and cross-ice to the slot to result in a 2 on 1 rush that saw Ethan Bowen put a cross-ice pass onto the tape of Tyler Christall who made no mistake in one-timing it high over a desperation dive by Jackson Glassford to make it 1-1 at 12:59 of period one. Nikita Nesterenko was awarded the second assist, but it appeared like it should've been given to Nathan Kelly. The Chiefs earned a power play on the next shift, and the Bulldogs killed it off, with Glassford being lights out to keep it 1-1 after 20 minutes. Shots in the first were 24-8 Chiefs.

The Chiefs again came out with an edge in the play to open the second in the opening minutes, but the Bulldogs pushed back to create a couple of chances, and some momentum to even the game. They would take a 2-1 lead just short of seven minutes into the period when Jackson Munro retrieved a dump in with purpose in the far corner of the Bulldog zone, and put a head-man pass up the left wing for Caige Sterzer. He put a hard spinning backhand rink-wide through the Bulldogs zone to the right side of centre ice, where Austin Spiridakis won a stick battle to get possession in full flight up the right wing, where he walked into the faceoff circle and put a quick release long-side past the blocker of Thornton to make it 2-1 Bulldogs at 6:41 of the second. The Bulldogs had a couple promising rushes and pucks around the net in the ensuing minutes, but couldn't pad their lead. They would end up back in the penalty box a few minutes later, with Jackson Glassford again making a  fantastic save with his right toe as he  was being slid into by a Chief  forward to rob Garrett Valk on the goal line. The Chiefs would connect on the power play, with Cooper Moore  putting a long range wrister on net from the left point that somehow beat all the traffic to sneak long-side under the glove of Glassford to make it 2-2 at 12:53 of the  second to make it 2-2 after period two. Shots in the frame were 15-6 Chilliwack for a 39-14 Chiefs advantage after 40 minutes.

The Bulldogs came out inspired to start the third period, and drew a penalty on the first shift. They couldn't make the power play count though, as the Chiefs killed it off. The Bulldogs kept pressing over the opening minutes of the period, and had a couple great chances as a result, but couldn't find the go-ahead marker. The most notable  chance saw Caige Sterzer skate in alone,  but Thornton made a good save with his right toe to keep it out. The Bulldogs kept pushing, but were penalized while in the attacking zone. The Chiefs made them pay just seconds into the power play, as a rink-wide set up saw Nikita Nesterenko put a perfect pass through the seam to the left faceoff dot where Peter Reynolds made no mistake in going roof, short-side over the blocker of Glassford to make it 3-2 at 7:14 of the third, with Ethan Bowen also assisting. The Bulldogs would earn another power play with eight and a half minutes to play, but again couldn't make it count to tie the game. Less than two minutes later the Chiefs padded their lead, as after a continuous  sequence of the teams fighting a bouncing puck back and forth between the blue lines finally ended with Cooper Moore walking into the deep slot where he beat Glassford with a wrist shot blocker side to make it 4-2 at 15:19 of the third, with Jake Veri drawing the lone assist. Seconds later, the Bulldog power play was again given an opportunity to get back in it and make it a  one-goal game despite showing an increased  urgency of putting the puck on net and creating several  scrambles. The Chiefs would rub some further salt in the wound to complete the scoring just 46 seconds after the power play elapsed, as Kyle Penney walked off the wall into the top of the right circle where he put a quick release high, short-side over the glove of Glassford to make it 5-2 at 18:46 of the third, with Ethan Bowen and Xavier Henry assisting.

Third period shots were 17-10 Bulldogs, for a game total of 49-33 Chiefs. Jackson Glassford earned 3rd star honours while taking the loss, while Kolby Thornton earned the win. The Bulldogs went 0 for 4 on the power play while the Chiefs went 2 for 4.

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 Chiefs tonight to open Showcase appearance




It's the second meeting between these teams in five days, as the Bulldogs (3-7-0-0, T-4th Island) begin their BCHL Showcase appearance by taking on the host Chiefs (4-4-0-0, T-2nd Mainland) at the Chilliwack Coliseum.


The Bulldogs were last in action Sunday afternoon in Coquitlam, where they dropped their third in a row, 4-2 to the Express. 


The Chiefs last played Saturday night at home, in an odd scheduling quirk, it was against the Bulldogs, where they won their second straight, 5-2


The Showcase is a great event and it's a unique experience to be a part of. It's a cool atmosphere when you walk into the rink, with league games already underway when you show up at the rink to prepare for yours. You can't turn your head without seeing a scout from the professional or collegiate hockey ranks, Every year I've attended it I always feel privileged to be able to work in conjunction with this great league. Now about tomorrow, when I'm broadcasting standing on a chair backwards against the glass in the small rink....well that's a topic for tomorrow.

For the players -  I can't imagine how exciting and motivating  it must be to  have this opportunity. The only caveat - don't play as an individual, don't play to impress. That just takes away from getting noticed for the right reasons, in my opinion. Do what you do, and what got you here.




Van Isle Ford Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM is on the air at 6:45 for the pregame show, with the puck drop and play-by-play to follow at 7:00pm.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Jared Thomas, the play-by-play voice of the Merritt Centennials, who the Bulldogs faceoff against tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 to conclude their Showcase appearance.




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