WOLVES TRIP UP BULLDOGS 6-2 IN SEASON OPENER
SUDBURY, ONTARIO. The Brantford Bulldogs opened the new season and the franchise’s new era with a trip to the north for a pair of games beginning in Sudbury against the Wolves on Friday night.
The first period got off to a dream start for the Bulldogs just 34-seconds in with Jorian Donovan taking a puck through the Brantford zone. With a perfect out pass, Donovan sent Florian Xhekaj in flight on the right side where the power-forward fed a streaking Nick Lardis left. Lardis barreled in on Wolves netminder Jakub Vondras beating him with shot inside the post to give the Dogs a 1-0 lead. Matteo Drobac took over the opening frame from there making a brilliant sprawling save on David Goyette as he attempted to elude the veteran netminder at the near post. Drobac followed that save with a showstopping split save to deny defenseman Owen Protz in the crease and keep the Bulldogs up a goal. With the Bulldogs on the power-play at 18:59 Keiron Walton found Nick Yearwood on a shorthanded 2-on-1 to equal the game 1-1 through minutes.
The Bulldogs got back on top 2:14 into the middle frame with a shorthanded goal of their own. Matteo Drobac directed the puck towards Jorian Donovan where the Bulldogs defender raced up the ice creating a 2-on-1 with Marek Vanacker. Donovan looped a perfect pass onto Vanacker’s tape to allow the Delhi product to lift the puck over Vondras and put the Bulldogs up 2-1. Sudbury’s dynamic offense responded in succession with Chase Coughlan stealing a puck from behind the Bulldogs goal and batting his 2nd opportunity past Drobac to tie the game once more at 8:22. Sudbury nosed ahead for the first time at 17:10 with Evan Konyen and David Goyette working the puck to Kocha Delic who snuck the puck over Drobac’s short side shoulder making it 3-2 for the hosts. At 17:54, the Wolves doubled their lead with Delic & Goyette combining this time to set Konyen to make it 4-2. With just under 2-minutes to go, Cedricson Okitundu appeared to be slew footed and have a fight instigated upon him, only to have the game remain 5-on-5 after lengthy review.
Into the final frame the Wolves added another pair. Despite a 7 for 8 night on the penalty kill for the Bulldogs, Ryan Pryce found a loose puck in the slot on the power-play to fire his 1st OHL goal, giving the Wolves a 5-2 lead at 4:20. The scoring came to a close at 10:21 after Chase Coughlan found a rebound of a David Goyette shot through the skates of a series of battling players in front of the Brantford goal and collected his 2nd of the night sealing the Wolves 6-2 win.
The Brantford Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, September 30th visiting the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds at the GFL Memorial Gardens at 7:07pm. The Bulldogs host their home opener on Saturday, October 7th welcoming the Oshawa Generals to the Brantford Civic Centre at 7:00pm.
