ONE MORE POINT IN THE BANK!
For the fourth time this season the Alberni Valley Bulldogs have taken the Victoria Grizzlies to overtime. But this time it was the Dogs turn to win in overtime.
The way the game started no one could have guessed that the Grizz were not on a roll to an easy win. They outplayed the Dogs badly throughout the first period. The Bulldogs seemed tired and slow in this opening frame. Several times Dante Hahn mesmerized the Dog's defense with his fast and weaving play. For a while it the All Hahn show! Great to watch!
At 5.53 Leo Fitzgerald opened the scoring with help from Gerry and Myles, and shortly after at 10.27 Leo Fitzgerald scored his second goal from David Mazurek and Myles Fitzgerald. Our Fitzgerald triplets knew this arena well, as that was their hometown! It almost looked like the Grizzlies had four lines! The Triplets kept being rotated between the other lines and these tough kids certainly saw a lot of ice time! It was great to see that all the lines were moving the puck well during this first period. When the first ended the Grizzlies were ahead by 2 goals. The Grizz had out-shot Alberni by 10 to 8 shots.
In the second period Alberni definitely picked up their game and on many occasions were dominating the play. The Grizzlies seemed to be struggling with controlling the puck down low, especially in the second half of the period, and several bad turn overs let the Dogs Ryan Lough get their first goal at 18.47. The Grizzlies finished this period looking a little shook up!
Michael Stiliadis played an exceptional game. If it had not been for him in the third period things would have been UGLY!
At 1.54 of the third period our Grizz hauled down an Alberni player in front of our goal. He was awarded a penalty shot and Michaeal was having none of that. He stopped him dead! And almost immediately the Dogs set up a 3 on 1 attack and Michael stopped that one with a beautiful toe save. Way to go Mike!
Our Grizzlies were having a lot of trouble controlling the puck and at 2.56 the Dog's Evan Tironese managed to beat Michael for their tying goal. With excellent goal tending and the Grizz seeming to get their second wind there was no more scoring for this 3rd. period despite a ferocious onslaught by the Bulldogs.
And then at 2.56 of the first overtime Evan Tironese won the game for the Bulldogs!
My thoughts abut the game:
First of all, huge congratulations to our 2 great call ups for this game, Brandon Egli and Shawn McBride. You two guys played an awesome game and definitely played at the Junior A level! It is nice to see we can call up such talent when needed! Thanks guys!
Scratches for this game (due to injuries) were Mitch Meek, Justin Coachman, Turner Lawson, Blake Thompson, and Brett Hartskamp. Hope you guys heal up real soon!!
Chris Albertini had to go down the tunnel for repairs in this game. Sure hope it is not anything that will keep him sidelined also!
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