The Brantford Bulldogs dropped their first contest to the Niagara IceDogs since 2019, by a score of 6-4 on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
In the best first period of the season, the Bulldogs unleashed a flurry of shots at IceDogs G Owen Flores.
After putting the offensive pressure for over half the period, the Bulldogs finally solved Flores with 7:13 to play in the opening frame. On the power play, RW Cole Brown took advantage in front of the Niagara goal, and the shot went through Flores’ right pad for his fifth goal of the season.
With the assist, C Patrick Thomas passed Avery Hayes for fifth in the Bulldogs all-time points list with 168.
After the first twenty minutes of play, the Bulldogs heavily outshot the IceDogs 19-2 but only led 1-0.
Ninety seconds into the second period, the Bulldogs extended their lead on another powerplay goal. This time, it was LW Nick Lardis with the five-hole past Flores for the team-leading 13th goal of the season.
But the IceDogs took control of the game afterwards. At 2:18, LW Ryan Roobroeck went top shelf past Bulldogs G Ryerson Leenders to cut the deficit in half.
IceDogs LW Kevin He looked to even the score a few minutes later on a breakaway, but Leenders made the great pad save. Leenders also made another excellent save with 7:32 left, as he robbed RW Mike Levin with a glove save.
Despite the best efforts by Leenders throughout the period, the IceDogs tied the game on the power play. With just over five minutes left, He scored on a shot past the left side of Leenders. The IceDogs took their first lead before the end of the middle frame on another powerplay goal, again by He.
Niagara padded their lead to a pair thirty-seven seconds into the third as RW Max Crete scored from just inside the blue line. Less than three minutes later, the IceDogs scored their fifth unanswered goal as D Jack Brauti joined the onslaught.
Brantford answered back fifteen seconds later as RW Zakary Lavoie notched his fourth of the season. The Bulldogs came to within a goal at the 5:55 mark by LW Luca Testa, his fourth of the season.
Bulldogs pressed for the equalizer late with the extra attacker, but to no avail, as He recorded the hat trick in an empty netter in the closing seconds.
