2024 first-round NHL draft pick D Adam Jiricek made his Brantford Bulldogs debut in a losing effort as they lost 4-3 to the Erie Otters on Friday, November 1, 2024.
Erie opened the scoring 4:13 into the first period. With the offensive pressure in the Bulldogs zone, they jammed the Bulldogs crease, only for RW Wesley Royston to tuck in the rebound past Bulldogs G Ryerson Leenders.
The Otters doubled their lead at 6:15 left in the period on a tricky shot from D Alexis Daviault, who got behind the left pad of Leenders. After twenty minutes of play, the Otters heavily outshot the Bulldogs 19-5 but only led 2-0 thanks to quality goaltending by Leenders.
Early in the second period, the Otters increased their lead to 3-0 on a goal by C Corey Terrance.
But the Bulldogs offence woke up less than two minutes later with a flurry of goals in two-and-a-half minutes.
C Jake O’Brien opened the scoring for the Bulldogs at the 3:12 mark on a rebound shot past Erie G Noah Erliden. The goal was the sixth of the season for O’Brien. The Bulldogs pulled to within one at 5:14, as RW Luca Testa received the pass from C Joshua Avery and sniped the puck above Erliden and into the back of the net for his third of the season.
Twenty-eight seconds later, the Bulldogs tied the game on a laser shot from RW Zakary Lavoie, his third of the year.
But with 5:02 left in the period, the Otters regained their lead on the shorthanded breakaway goal by LW Malcolm Spence.
In the third period, the Bulldogs pressed for the equalizer and outshot Erie 12-5 in the final frame. Unfortunately for the home side, they couldn’t solve Erliden.
Leenders had a strong outing with 33 saves in the losing effort.
