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Bulldogs Take Three of Four Possible Points on the Weekend
2019-11-04The first weekend in November had the Bulldogs matched up against two division rivals - the Eskasoni Eagles and the first regular season matchup against the Strait Pirates. Head coach Donnie Grant said he is pleased with the way the team has played but stressed that the team still has room to improve. “At times in games we have a tendency to sit back and let the play come to us and that is hurting us a bit,” he stated. “When we are forechecking and moving the puck well, our team can be competitive with anyone in the league, but we have to learn to maintain our intensity for a full 60 minutes. Again, with a league this good, you can’t let down even for a few shifts in a row! Otherwise you will likely find yourself collecting the puck from your net!”
On Friday November 1, the Dogs hosted the Eskasoni Eagles, and really sizzled out of the gate, outshooting the Eagles by a count of 16-7 in the first period. Four minutes into the frame, Jack Nielsen (1st year, Calgary AB) tipped home a point blast from Dogs D-man Matt Melanson (1st year, Truro) to take a 1-0 lead. The Dogs continued to play most of the period in the Eagles end but a few posts and some brilliant netminding by Eagles tender Alexander Denny kept the Dogs at bay. Near the end of the first frame, Near the end of the first frame, 3rd year forward Ryan Kennedy (Antigonish extended the lead when he tipped a low point blast from Kade Stewart (1st year, Liverpool) and Sam Mattie (1st year, Rockland ON). The Eagles closed the before the end of the first and came out in the second with a sense of purpose as they outplayed and outshot the Dogs for the entire period and rolled the intermission holding a 3-2 lead. The third period see-sawed back and forth with both teams trading great scoring chances, and excellent goaltending from the Dogs Jared Greene (3rd Year, Antigonish) and the Eagles’s Denny. The Dogs tied it on a late third period power play goal by Sam Legere (1st year, Halifax) set up by the brilliant forechecking and passing of both William Kelly (1st year, Quispamsis, NB) and Keegan Gauthier (2nd year, Bedford). The Dogs continued to press for the go-ahead goal, but Denny shut the door and the OT didn’t end the way Dogs wanted when an errant stick tipped the Eagles Kinnon Williams shot past Greene for the Eagles Victory.
On Saturday, the Dogs made the trip down the 104 to face their arch-rivals the Strait Pirates for the first of four regular season games. The Dog stormed out of the gate firing on all cylinders and generated a lot of quality zone time on the Pirates in the first period. The Dogs got on the board first and when Keegan Gauthier banged home a loose puck past the sprawling Pirates tender, of an initial chance by Zach Forsythe (2nd year, Coldbrook). Forsythe was again the Big Dog early in the second when he puts them ahead 2-0 on a gorgeous, unassisted short-handed rush. The Pirates got one back about two minutes later, but the Dogs answered back on the very next shift when Will Kelly snapped a Sam Mattie feed past the Pirates goalie with the second assist going to Jacob Nobbe (3rd year, Halifax). The Pirates responded with two goals in the third to tie the game; the Dogs had a number of glorious chances in the third, including an extended 5 on 3, but the determined Pirates held the fort to send and grabbed the momentum late in the third period. Dogs tender Cody MacEachern (1st year, Ottawa) was equal to the task however, and shut the door to bring the game to overtime. Overtime solved nothing as both teams traded quality chances in a blistering 5-minute spectacle. With the game going to a shootout, 2nd year Dog and newly minted assistant captain Fearghus MacDonald (Antigonish) slid a beauty of a shot past Pirates goaltender Cody Smith to put the Dogs ahead on the first attempt. It proved to be all that was needed as MacEachern shut the door on all three Pirates shooters to allow the Dogs to grab that key extra point and MacEachern’s 6th victory in seven starts. “Going to two overtime games on consecutive nights is crazy and although I would have preferred the four points, getting that extra point in the Pirates game could be vital down the road. I can honestly say though that the fans in both games were treated to some real entertaining hockey,” said coach Grant. “A few things to work on, for sure, but that’s to be expected as we continue to play against some very, very good competition in this league.”
The Dogs see action this weekend with a home game against the Pictou County Scotians and an away match against the Brookfield Elks on Saturday, November 9th. The Friday game is in support of an incredible program being led by a Junior B Dogs Alumnus, Giovanni Akeson, the Antigonish Bulldogs Inclusive Para Ice Hockey Program. The proceeds from Dogs 50/50 draw will go towards helping the development of this outstanding program. Puck drop at the arena is 7:30 PM on Friday November 8th, so come out and support both the Junior B Dogs and the new Para Ice Hockey Program!
On Friday November 1, the Dogs hosted the Eskasoni Eagles, and really sizzled out of the gate, outshooting the Eagles by a count of 16-7 in the first period. Four minutes into the frame, Jack Nielsen (1st year, Calgary AB) tipped home a point blast from Dogs D-man Matt Melanson (1st year, Truro) to take a 1-0 lead. The Dogs continued to play most of the period in the Eagles end but a few posts and some brilliant netminding by Eagles tender Alexander Denny kept the Dogs at bay. Near the end of the first frame, Near the end of the first frame, 3rd year forward Ryan Kennedy (Antigonish extended the lead when he tipped a low point blast from Kade Stewart (1st year, Liverpool) and Sam Mattie (1st year, Rockland ON). The Eagles closed the before the end of the first and came out in the second with a sense of purpose as they outplayed and outshot the Dogs for the entire period and rolled the intermission holding a 3-2 lead. The third period see-sawed back and forth with both teams trading great scoring chances, and excellent goaltending from the Dogs Jared Greene (3rd Year, Antigonish) and the Eagles’s Denny. The Dogs tied it on a late third period power play goal by Sam Legere (1st year, Halifax) set up by the brilliant forechecking and passing of both William Kelly (1st year, Quispamsis, NB) and Keegan Gauthier (2nd year, Bedford). The Dogs continued to press for the go-ahead goal, but Denny shut the door and the OT didn’t end the way Dogs wanted when an errant stick tipped the Eagles Kinnon Williams shot past Greene for the Eagles Victory.
On Saturday, the Dogs made the trip down the 104 to face their arch-rivals the Strait Pirates for the first of four regular season games. The Dog stormed out of the gate firing on all cylinders and generated a lot of quality zone time on the Pirates in the first period. The Dogs got on the board first and when Keegan Gauthier banged home a loose puck past the sprawling Pirates tender, of an initial chance by Zach Forsythe (2nd year, Coldbrook). Forsythe was again the Big Dog early in the second when he puts them ahead 2-0 on a gorgeous, unassisted short-handed rush. The Pirates got one back about two minutes later, but the Dogs answered back on the very next shift when Will Kelly snapped a Sam Mattie feed past the Pirates goalie with the second assist going to Jacob Nobbe (3rd year, Halifax). The Pirates responded with two goals in the third to tie the game; the Dogs had a number of glorious chances in the third, including an extended 5 on 3, but the determined Pirates held the fort to send and grabbed the momentum late in the third period. Dogs tender Cody MacEachern (1st year, Ottawa) was equal to the task however, and shut the door to bring the game to overtime. Overtime solved nothing as both teams traded quality chances in a blistering 5-minute spectacle. With the game going to a shootout, 2nd year Dog and newly minted assistant captain Fearghus MacDonald (Antigonish) slid a beauty of a shot past Pirates goaltender Cody Smith to put the Dogs ahead on the first attempt. It proved to be all that was needed as MacEachern shut the door on all three Pirates shooters to allow the Dogs to grab that key extra point and MacEachern’s 6th victory in seven starts. “Going to two overtime games on consecutive nights is crazy and although I would have preferred the four points, getting that extra point in the Pirates game could be vital down the road. I can honestly say though that the fans in both games were treated to some real entertaining hockey,” said coach Grant. “A few things to work on, for sure, but that’s to be expected as we continue to play against some very, very good competition in this league.”
The Dogs see action this weekend with a home game against the Pictou County Scotians and an away match against the Brookfield Elks on Saturday, November 9th. The Friday game is in support of an incredible program being led by a Junior B Dogs Alumnus, Giovanni Akeson, the Antigonish Bulldogs Inclusive Para Ice Hockey Program. The proceeds from Dogs 50/50 draw will go towards helping the development of this outstanding program. Puck drop at the arena is 7:30 PM on Friday November 8th, so come out and support both the Junior B Dogs and the new Para Ice Hockey Program!
“GO DOGS GO!!!!