LEENDERS STOPS 43; LARDIS 3-POINT THIRD LEADS DOGS TO 5-2 WIN
PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO. Opening their Renway Retro Weekend 3-in-3, the Brantford Bulldogs took the trip up Highway 407 to meet the Peterborough Petes in their first visit to the legendary Peterborough Memorial Centre on the season.
The Bulldogs got a dream start to the game, just 3:06 in when the newly created line of Luca Testa centering Josh Avery & Aiden O’Donnell struck. With Tomas Hamara hopping into the play on the right side, the import defenseman set Testa through the circle where he played a perfect backhand to the front of the net for Aiden O’Donnell. The 2024 1st round selection made no mistake tossing the puck by Easton Rye for his 3rd of the season giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. The Petes answered back at 8:30 with old friend Jonathan Melee converting on a Ryder McIntyre net front period for the only blemish on a 14-save first period for Ryerson Leenders. The Bulldogs’ netminder’s best effort coming on a wide open Caden Taylor rocket, flying across the crease to steal one from the talented shooter and assure the game would hit the locker room tied 1-1.
After Luca Testa was unable to return from a hit in the first period, the Bulldogs had to change up the third line combination and it once again paid immediate dividends with Dylan Tsherna & Nikolas Rossetto rotating in Testa’s spot alongside Josh Avery & Aiden O’Donnell. It was through the Rossetto version of the line that the Bulldogs took the lead back at 11:14, Aiden O’Donnell sent Rossetto and Josh Avery forward. Avery with a slick move to the inside of Grayden Strohack sent an off balance shot that hit the end wall and jumped to the side of the net where Rossetto handled and slammed the puck past Rye for his 3rd of the season giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Easton Rye was excellent for the Petes turning aside Nick Lardis’ slot drive on a Bulldogs 5-on-3 to deny the red-hot Bulldogs sniper as part of his 14 saves in the frame while Ryerson Leenders turned aside all 12 shots he faced to keep the Bulldogs ahead by a 2-1 margin through 40 minutes.
Refusing to go down without a fight the Petes responded in the third period at 9:00 on the power-play. Aiden Young bolted his way up the left-wing side, turning a Bulldogs defender and managed to get Ryerson Leenders off his post on a 2-on-1, sneaking a puck inside the post to knot the game 2-2. The Bulldogs answered back quickly on a hardworking net front goal. Patrick Thomas collected out of a goal mouth scramble, feeding to the left side for Nick Lardis approaching the crease and dealing to the right hashmark for Calvin Crombie whose shot banked off the post & crossbar and over the line for his 2nd of the season gving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead at 11:40. The visitors kept piling on the pressure in the third period, at 15:50 on the power-play they managed to crack Easton Rye once more. Jake O’Brien exchanged with Patrick Thomas on the left side where the Bulldogs captain fed a beautiful pass into the right circle for Nick Lardis to hammer home for his 21st of the season & 7th in the last 3 games. Lardis would keep his roll going at 17:34, with the puck bouncing into the neutral zone off the draw, Lardis outraced the Petes trying to get back and escorted the puck into the empty net for his 2nd of the night, 22nd of the season & 8th in his last 3 games. With Ryerson Leenders making an incredible 43 stops & Lardis’ third period outburst, the Bulldogs ended a 5-2 victory.
The Brantford Bulldogs continue Renway Retro Weekend on home ice, dawning Alexanders jerseys when they host the Oshawa Generals on Friday night at 7:00pm.
