(Blackfalds Bulldogs website)

By Alessia Proietti

Three games to go

Bulldogs start road trip with massive 6-3 win against the Crusaders

Feb 19, 2024 | 11:07 PM

The Blackfalds Bulldogs started off their three-week road trip on the right foot with a 6-3 win against the Sherwood Park Crusaders on Family Day Monday at the Sherwood Park Arena.

The win is a full recovery from their last match-up against the Crusaders on February 7 that ended in a 4-1 loss for Blackfalds.

The game started with a goal by Sherwood Park’s William Christian at 3:44 on Blackfalds goaltender Wilson Maxfield. The scoreboard was now 1-0 for the home team.

In the second half of the first period, both teams found themselves one man down from roughing penalties, given to Otto Hanson for the Bulldogs and Adam Raesler for the Crusaders.

However, Blackfalds’ Ryan Neumann was unphased by the four-on-four, scoring from the low slot on Sherwood Park’s netminder Erick Roest at 13:37. His third goal of the season was assisted by James Johnson, tying the game 1-1.

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With less than a minute and a half of regulation, the Bulldogs’ Brendan Ross scored his sixth goal this BCHL season right at the doorstep. With Hunter Brown and Dakota MacIntosh getting the helpers, the team was now in the lead 2-1.

The Bulldogs were also leading in shots on goal with 15-11 after 20 minutes.

The Crusaders quickly regained the lead in the second period when, after losing Raesler to a boarding penalty, Noah Wills still managed to score a shorthanded goal at 3:18. The game was once again tied 2-2.

Sherwood Park’s Kale Dach scored at 8:46 to put them back in the lead 3-2.

But the Bulldogs evened the playing field at 12:44 when Jayden Joly, doing a 360-spin, decided to make a shot from the high slot. With Matheson Mason claiming the assist, the goal brought the game to 3-3.

Sherwood Park slightly outshot Blackfalds in the middle frame 15-14.

The Bulldogs completely dominated the final period, beginning at 3:19 with Luke Dahlen scoring his second goal of the season on a rebound at the crease. Now 4-3, Alexander Dimitriadis and Tanner Willick got the apples.

At 11:45, Blackfalds’ Dimitriadis scored with a backhander with Dahlen claiming the assist. His second goal this season pushed the team’s lead 5-3.

With one minute left to the game, Sherwood Park pulled out Roest from the net.

But it was to their disadvantage as Blackfalds’ Brown scored an empty-netter with roughly 15 seconds left to go. With Dimitriadis and Ross getting the helpers on his second goal of the season, the team closed the game with a 6-3 victory.

Blackfalds outshot Sherwood Park in the third period 13-10.

Shots on goal

BFB: 42

SPC: 36

Power play

BFB: 0/3

SPC: 0/1

Three stars

1^st: Alexander Dimitriadis (BFB) – 1G, 2A

2^nd: Luke Dahlen (BFB) – 1G, 1A

3^rd: Ethan Merner (SPC) – 2A

The win puts the Bulldogs in second place among the BCHL Alberta teams at 4-2-1-0 while the loss puts the Crusaders in third place at 4-3-0-0.

The Bulldogs continue to their second of a four-game road trip to play against the Brooks Bandits at the Centennial Regional Arena on Friday. Face off is at 7 p.m. with the broadcast live on Mixlr.

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