The Burford Bulldogs remain in the hunt for their first win of the season after a 9-3 loss against the Tavistock Braves on Saturday, October 30.
The Bulldogs sit in last place in the South Doherty Division of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL), while the Braves are in fourth.
The Bulldogs started the first period slow and the Braves capitalized on it, spending almost the entire opening three minutes in the offensive zone. The Bulldogs started to get their legs and the next several minutes were spent back and forth on the ice.
The Braves got on the score sheet first with a top-shelf goal on Bulldogs goaltender Caleb Ursu. Tavistock kept the momentum going after their goal with more great chances in front of the net. Moments later, the Braves extended their lead to 2-0 after catching Ursu out of position to score from behind the net.
The Bulldogs got a chance to get their offence going when the Braves took an interference penalty. Tavistock’s penalty kill unit smothered the Bulldogs, resulting in no shots on net during the man advantage. At the end of the first, the Braves held a 2-0 lead.
The second period was action packed, with nine goals scored throughout the 20 minutes.
The Braves came out fast but a turnover led to a Bulldogs breakaway. Braves goaltender Tarin Pennington robbed Burford to send his team flying back down the ice to extend their lead to 3-0.
Just over a minute later, the Bulldogs netted their first of the game to come within two. Both teams gained momentum after the Burford goal, battling at all inches of the rink. The Bulldogs broke through to score their second straight goal to make it 3-2.
After the goal, Burford headed to the penalty box for high-sticking and the Braves scored a power-play goal 26 seconds into the man-advantage.
The Bulldogs played hard following the goal but the Braves were just getting started. Tavistock scored three goals within a one minute span, before netting another goal a minute and a half later. The Bulldogs showed they weren’t out of the game yet, scoring their third goal of the game in the last minute of the period. At the end of the second, the Braves led 8-3.
The third period kicked off with a goalie change for the Bulldogs as backup netminder Shendon Smith took over in the crease for Ursu.
The Braves continued to dominate play in the third, scoring their ninth goal of the game three minutes into the final period. Tavistock did not slow down, spending the next several minutes on the attack. Smith stood tall in his crease to keep his team in the game. The second half of the third period was a balanced battle between both teams. In the final five minutes, the Bulldogs dominated offensively but were unable to get one past Pennington. In the final second of the period, the Bulldogs were sent to the box after a hit to the head behind the net. As the final second ran out, the Braves celebrated their 9-3 win over the Bulldogs.
