Bulldogs lose 9-2 against the Bandits in highly heated match
Article Credit: Alessia Proietti, rdnewsNOW
Photo Credit: Scott Stimson, Blackfalds Bulldogs
In an intensely heated game, the Blackfalds Bulldogs lost 9-2 against the Brooks Bandits on Saturday night at the Centennial Regional Arena.
The Bandits lead among Alberta teams in the BCHL, with their only loss in 12 games to the Bulldogs during their first match since the league change. Saturday’s loss marks the fifth in a row for Blackfalds.
In the first period, the Bandits’ Parker Lalonde scored on Bulldogs goaltender Gabe Gratton at 5:37, making it 1-0 for the home team.
But it didn’t take long for Blackfalds to nullify the goal less than two minutes later. Kody Willick scored his first this season on Brooks netminder Johnny Hicks from the low slot. Assisted by Carter Cormier and James Johnson, the scoreboard now read 1-1.
Midway through, the Bandits regained the lead at 2-1 with a goal by Logan Sawyer.
Brooks’ Nathan Free then pushed their lead 3-1 with a goal at 15:05.
After 20 minutes of play, the home team were slightly outscoring the visitors 10-9.
The Bandits dominated the second period with five goals, beginning with Luke Marshall at 3:52, putting the score at 4-1.
Even though Brooks’ Nicholas DeGraves was sent to the box for a tripping penalty, Lalonde still scored shorthanded just over a minute later. His second goal of the game put the team in a 5-1 lead.
Follow a series of simultaneous minor, major, and game misconduct penalties on both sides, the Bulldogs were one extra man down when Carter Patterson received a roughing penalty. The Bandits’ Danylo Korzhyletskyi took advantage of the power play with a goal at 14:04, making it now a 6-1 game.
Just 57 seconds later, Brooks’ Mathieu Taillefer scored for a 7-1 lead.
When the Bulldogs’ Luke Dahlen was sent to the box for holding, the Bandit’s Korzhyletskyi scored another power play goal at 17:53, with the scoreboard now reading 8-1 in their favor.
Brooks greatly outshot Blackfalds 17-7 in the second period.
The home team began the final period at a disadvantage as Ethan Beyer was still serving an interference penalty received during the final seconds of the middle frame. The Bulldogs’ Dakota MacIntosh capitalized on the power play with a goal from the high slot at 1:35.
Matheson Mason and Ryan Neumann got the helpers for his fifth goal of the season, turning it into an 8-2 game.
However, with Mason getting a roughing penalty, the Brooks’ DeGraves scored his second of the game at 15:43. The power play goal finalized the match at 9-2 in favour of the home team.
This time it was the Bulldogs who outshot the Bandits in the third period 13-12.
Shots on goal
BFB: 29
BRK: 39
Power play
BFB: 1/5
BRK: 3/8
McWilliam Auto Services three stars
1st: Parker Lalonde (BRK) – 2G, 1A
2nd: Logan Sawyer (BRK) – 1G, 2A
3rd: Matheson Mason (BFB) – 1A
The loss keeps Blackfalds in third place among Alberta teams in the BCHL at 4-6-2-0 while Brooks remain in the lead at 11-1-0-0.
The Bulldogs will return to home ice on Saturday to play against the Okotoks Oilers at the Eagle Builders Centre. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. with the broadcast live on Mixlr.
