Bulldogs beat Brookfield 6-1
2015-01-25In one of their most productive games of the season, both on offense and defense, the Farmers' Mutual Bulldogs exhibited a balanced attack against the Elks Sunday night at the Arena.
Nate Letcher (power-play & short-handed) and Colin Graham scored twice, with Letcher adding two assists. It was Letcher's second consecutive two-goal game, which could have been a hat-trick but for a cross-bar that got in the way.
Brett MacNeil and Scott Coulton (power-play) rounded out the scoring for the Bulldogs but it was Dylan MacLean's three assists that had him being selected as A&W Bulldog Player of the Game. MacNeil also had two assists, with single helpers going to Emerson Coulter and Kory Tate.
The Elks struck first on the power-play just under six minutes into the opening period but that was all Tanner Doiron gave them as he stood tall in goal and turned aside the remaining 35 shots. The Bulldogs' breakout showed improvement, with the defense and forwards working together to reduce the amount of time the Elks spent inside the blueline.
Letcher's second goal saw him take a breakaway pass from MacLean and slide the puck under the pads of Elks' goalie Dennis Nolan and into the net. With the 'Dogs up 3-1 toward the end of the second period, MacNeil provided his team with some additional insurance when he found a bit of daylight between the post and the right arm of Nolan, who faced a total of 38 shots on the night.
Two more goals in the final period for the Black & Gold and that was it in a game that was decidedly nasty for two teams that met only twice during the regular season.
Bulldogs' next game is on the road when they meet the Miners in Glace Bay on January 31. They will be back home on February 6 when the surging Pictou Co. Scotians come to the Arena. Both games have a 7:30 start.
With the season winding down, the 'Dogs hold the final playoff spot, five points ahead of the Blues. With, hopefully, a fourth place finish, it looks like a Bulldogs-Miners playoff date unless the Scotians manage to win all of their remaining seven games and the Miners get only three of six potential points in their three tilts. Only time will tell how it all turns out but the Bulldogs have a chance to change their own destiny and that of the Miners on the 31st.
GO-DOGS-GO!
Brett MacNeil and Scott Coulton (power-play) rounded out the scoring for the Bulldogs but it was Dylan MacLean's three assists that had him being selected as A&W Bulldog Player of the Game. MacNeil also had two assists, with single helpers going to Emerson Coulter and Kory Tate.
The Elks struck first on the power-play just under six minutes into the opening period but that was all Tanner Doiron gave them as he stood tall in goal and turned aside the remaining 35 shots. The Bulldogs' breakout showed improvement, with the defense and forwards working together to reduce the amount of time the Elks spent inside the blueline.
Letcher's second goal saw him take a breakaway pass from MacLean and slide the puck under the pads of Elks' goalie Dennis Nolan and into the net. With the 'Dogs up 3-1 toward the end of the second period, MacNeil provided his team with some additional insurance when he found a bit of daylight between the post and the right arm of Nolan, who faced a total of 38 shots on the night.
Two more goals in the final period for the Black & Gold and that was it in a game that was decidedly nasty for two teams that met only twice during the regular season.
Bulldogs' next game is on the road when they meet the Miners in Glace Bay on January 31. They will be back home on February 6 when the surging Pictou Co. Scotians come to the Arena. Both games have a 7:30 start.
With the season winding down, the 'Dogs hold the final playoff spot, five points ahead of the Blues. With, hopefully, a fourth place finish, it looks like a Bulldogs-Miners playoff date unless the Scotians manage to win all of their remaining seven games and the Miners get only three of six potential points in their three tilts. Only time will tell how it all turns out but the Bulldogs have a chance to change their own destiny and that of the Miners on the 31st.
GO-DOGS-GO!