Last night, the Blackfalds Bulldogs rolled into Sherwood Park and took down the Crusaders by a convincing 4-1 score, showing why they’re a force to be reckoned with in the BCHL. Thomas Neu was absolutely electric, lighting the lamp three times for a beautiful hat trick that stole the show. In net, Carson Mertz stood tall and solid all night for the Bulldogs, turning away most of what came his way. Credit where it’s due, though—Filip Vavro battled hard in the Crusaders’ crease and kept things respectable despite the final tally. Watching on TV wasn’t without its frustrations: that protective netting at Randy Rosen Rink always seems to get in the way, cluttering the view more than it should. And apparently, the Crusaders are the only team in the league without a jumbotron in their building, which keeps the in-arena experience a bit old-school. Couldn’t pull up the Bulldogs’ stream, so I had to tune into the Crusaders’ broadcast instead—not quite the polished call you get from Stinson, but the crew gave it their all and kept the energy going.
Thomas Neu gives the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead at 1:54 of the first period with the assists going to Nicholas DiPaolo and Krisjanis Sarts.
Shots on goal in the first period were 9-6 for the Bulldogs
Neu makes it 2-0 Bulldogs scoring his second goal of the game after receiving a beautiful pass from Antoine Gauthier at 2:50 of the second period. The other assist on the goal went to Noah Mertz.
Neu completes the natural hattrick to make it 3-0 Bulldogs at 16:38 of the second period with the assist on the goal going to Nicholas DiPaolo.
Shots on goal in the second period were 11 each.
On a 5 on 3 Power Play on brutal calls the Crusaders get gifted a goal at 9:40 of the third period. Braeden O’Keefe scored his 14th of the season. The assists on the goal went to Jude Bray and Erik Kald.
Nikita Meshcheryakov puts it into the empty net to make it a 4-1 game at 18:10 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Nikita Ivashchenko and Alex Bosland.
Shots on goal in the third period were 9-6 for the Crusaders. The Crusaders outshot the Bulldogs 27-26 in the game.
For the Bulldogs Carson Mertz stopped 26 of the 27 shots that he faced getting his 14th win of the season. For the Crusaders Slovakian Filip Vavro stopped 22 of the 25 shots that he faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Thomas Neu 2) Carson Mertz 3) Nick DiPaolo
Attendance in Sherwood Park was 885
Bulldogs next game is Saturday January 31st in Blackfalds against the Brooks Bandits
The Owen Sound Attack just added some help up front, announcing Tuesday that they’ve signed forward Jared Langdon from the BCHL’s Blackfalds Bulldogs. The 6-foot guy from St. John’s, Newfoundland, actually got picked by the Attack back in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection—fourth round, 74th overall—but he didn’t come on board at the time and went the junior route instead.GM Dale DeGray mentioned they’ve kept an eye on him over the years. With the team short on forwards and the option to grab guys from the BCHL, bringing Jared in was a no-brainer. DeGray said Jared’s got a solid two-way game, can handle center duties, and wins faceoffs pretty well. “Welcome back, Jared. “Langdon’s already committed to play NCAA hockey at Clarkson University after this, and he called it a great school with a top-notch program he’s really thankful for. This season with Blackfalds (2025-26), he put up 11 goals, 9 assists, and 20 points in 34 games—not bad production. When they asked him about joining Owen Sound, Langdon said he’s super grateful for the shot and feels honored to lace ’em up for the same team that drafted him originally. Should be interesting to see what he brings to the lineup. LINK