It was incredibly frustrating to watch this game. The Blackfalds Bulldogs came out flying in the first period and looked like they were on their way to a blowout. The Sherwood Park Crusaders, on the other hand, started flat and looked completely uninterested, almost as if they had already accepted they were going to get run out of the building. The attendance was poor, though that could partly be blamed on it being Good Friday, and the overall vibe in the Eagle Builders Centre didn’t feel like a playoff game at all. To make matters worse, the referees seemed off all night, like they might have had one too many Easter drinks the night before—their calls just weren’t up to standard. Despite the Bulldogs’ early dominance and heavy pressure, the Crusaders stole Game 1 of their first-round BCHL playoff series on April 3, 2026, winning 1-0. Cooper Sharp scored the only goal in the second period, and goaltender Filip Vavro was outstanding, stopping all 33 shots he faced for a shutout in his first career BCHL playoff start. It turned into a tight, low-scoring defensive battle—the kind you often see early in the playoffs—and Sherwood Park now leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.
Shots on goal in the first period were 14-3 for the Bulldogs
Cooper Sharp scored from the slot to make it a 1-0 game for the Crusaders at 18:07 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Quincy Supprien and Braeden O’Keefe.
Shots on goal in the second period were 6-4 for the Bulldogs
Shots on goal in the third period were 13-2 for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs outshot the Crusaders 33-9 in the game.
Filip Vavro stopped all 33 shots that he faced for the shutout win. For the Bulldogs Oliver Kiraly stopped 8 of the 9 shots her faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Filip Vavro 2) Cooper Sharp 3) Nicholas DiPaolo
Attendance in Blackfalds was 632
Bulldogs next game is Saturday April 4th in Blackfalds against the Crusaders for game #2
