Bulldogs Take Game 3 Despite Hrebik’s Heroics
The Barrie Colts battled through a wild and physical Game 3 but came up short, falling 2–0 to the Brantford Bulldogs in a contest defined by momentum swings, standout goaltending, and special teams battle.
The game opened chaotically, as Brantford appeared to strike just 15 seconds in on a broken play that saw the puck trickle past Ben Hrebik after multiple deflections. However, the Colts immediately challenged the play for offside, and after a review from Head Coach Dylan Smoskowitz and the video team, the goal was overturned to keep the game scoreless — a massive early swing in momentum.
From there, the first period turned into a goaltending duel and a shot-heavy frame for Brantford. Hrebik was outstanding, turning aside chance after chance, including a key glove stop on a breakaway from Vanacker and a highlight 4-on-1 save to keep the game tied. Barrie had their moments on the power play and generated pressure late, including a post from McCormick out of the box, but the Bulldogs carried a 21–11 shot advantage into intermission.
The second period saw Brantford continue to tilt the ice early, with Barrie held without a shot for over 12 minutes. The Bulldogs finally broke through on a 2-on-1, as O’Brien set up Luchanko for the game’s first official goal to make it 1–0. Moments later, Brantford went back on the power play, but Barrie’s penalty kill stood strong, highlighted by blocked shots from Zebeski and key defensive structure. Hrebik continued to shine, while Barrie narrowly missed on a pair of excellent chances, including a post and a missed top-shelf opportunity. After two periods, Brantford led 1–0 and held a 30–14 shot advantage.
Barrie came out with improved pace in the third, generating early zone time and forcing an icing, but struggled to consistently regain possession as Brantford controlled large stretches of play. The Colts penalty kill delivered again, successfully navigating a late opportunity while improving to a perfect night shorthanded. Despite a push and a couple late looks with the empty net, Brantford capitalized on a Barrie turnover in the final 32 seconds to seal the game with an empty-net goal.
Brantford outshot Barrie 39–22 on the night, while the Colts were led by a resilient defensive effort and an outstanding performance from Hrebik, who kept Barrie within reach throughout. Final score: 2–0 Brantford.
