The Bulldogs ended up defeating the Spruce Grove Saints in a Sunday afternoon game 5-2. Blackfalds remains in third place amongst Alberta teams in the BCHL with a record of 3-2-1-0 while Spruce Grove is in fourth at 1-3-1-0.
Ryan Shaw opened up the scoring for the Bulldogs on a nice shot from in close finding a sliver of a space to make it 1-0 at 9:17 of the first period. The assists on the goal went to Jayden Joly and Matheson Mason. That is Mason’s first point as a Bulldog since joining the team in the February 10th trade which sent David Brandes to the Coquitlam Express.
Brendan Ross made it 2-0 Bulldogs at 12:52 of the first period with the assists on the goal going to Tanner Willick and Hunter Brown. The Bulldogs had several attempts to score before Ross put it in the net. It was more of a matter of when was Saints netminder Schweiller was going to crack.
Shots on goal in the first period were 16-7 for the Bulldogs.
Dakota MacIntosh made it 3-0 game 1:12 into the second frame with the assist on the goal going to Hunter Brown and Brendan Ross. Just like tic-tac-toe.
Then just 1:32 later Brendan Ross made it a 4-0 Bulldogs game when the play was 4 on 4 at 2:43 of the second period. Assists on the goal went to Dakota MacIntosh and James Johnson. That is Johnson’s first point since being acquired by the Bulldogs. Johnson has been an impressive addition so far. I am still amazed that a kid who is 6’6 can skate so well. When I first seen he was 6’6 I thought he might be one of those guys that trips on his feet alot or might look like an awkward bean pole. (happens alot to kids that big). Quite the opposite though.
Ryan Neumann got his second goal as a Bulldog to make it a 5-0 game at 3:23 of the second period. Assists on the goal went to Matheson Mason and Hunter Brown. Great work by Mason dangling and setting up that goal. Its his second point of the night for the former Wellington Duke. When Mason played with the Dukes his team mates were Edward Moskowitz and Ethan Morrow.
Former Yorkton Terrier Dylan Ruptasch got the Saints on the board at 16:02 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Holy Cross commit Keifer Miller and Ethan Sundar
Shots on goal in the second period were 10 each.
Dylan Ruptasch scores his second goal of the night at 5:12 of the final period with the assist on the goal going to St. Albert native Ethan Sundar.
Shots on goal in the third period were 11-8 for the Saints with the Bulldogs outshooting the Saints in the game 34-28.
Wilson Maxfield made 26 saves on the 28 shots that he faced to pick up the win for the Bulldogs. In the other end Alexander Scheiwiller was left stranded by his team in one of the worst ways I have seen in that building in a long time and got blasted with 19 shots in a little over 22 minutes of the game before leaving. He let in 4 of them which was good because in reality the Saints were lucky it wasn’t 10. He was replaced by Ryan DeKok 2:43 in the second. DeKok stopped 14 of the 15 shots that he faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Ryan Neumann 2) Hunter Brown 3) Dylan Ruptasch
Attendance in Blackfalds was 831
Bulldogs next game is Monday Family Day February 19th in Sherwood Park against the Crusaders at 2pm. The Bulldogs next home game is not until March 8th against the Sherwood Park Crusaders.
Sherwood Park Crusaders Saturday attendance must of been embarrassing. That could be a misprint I am not sure. If they only got 316 fans on a SATURDAY NIGHT!!!! That is mind blowing. That is a good team too and there is that little interest in it? Give them to a community that deserves them and will support them, like Drumheller. Hell moving them to play outdoors in Balzac could work better. I knew the Bulldogs and some of the AJHL teams would be lower compared to the rest of the league but the BCHL commissioner should be concerned about that if it stays like that in Sherwood Park. They still got 100 more fans than Olds of the AJHL did that night though. Hopefully its better on Monday lots of rumblings about angry fans there over organization future decisions, rumor has it.
First USHL goal for Layne Loomer! Link. Layne Loomer got his first goal with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. Unfortunately it was in Lincoln’s 7-2 loss to the Dubuque Saints.