The Bucks had an exhibition game before the Bulldogs even had training camp. I think the Bulldogs were the last team in the BCHL to start theirs. The Bulldogs are 0-2 prior to tonight’s game and the Bucks are 1-2. This is the first time the Bulldogs have went over to play a BC team and the first time this season an Alberta Team has played a BC team.
Right off the bat North Vancouver native Shane Purves opens up the scoring on a rebound just 46 seconds into the game. The assist on the goal went to Charles Beland. Beland hails from Trois Rivieres, Quebec and played last season with the North Iowa Bulls of the NAHL.
Toronto native Wolf Giles snipes a beauty to make it a 2-0 game from Jamie Darlison and Nayan Pai at 11:35 of the first period. Giles was the leading scorer for the Niagara Falls Canucks of the OJHL last season.
Bryce Bryant who played for the Virden Oil Capitals of the MJHL last season scored for the Bucks at 13:00 of the first period to get them onto the board. The assists were from Rossland, BC native Nathan Simm and Malachi Freh.
Shots on goal in the first period were 10 each at the end of the first period. (Although the website says 10-9 Flohockey TV says 10 each.)
Bulldogs got sloppy and stood around and the Bucks tied the game up when Patrick Murphy tied it up at 5:46 on a strange bounce off a stick in where he probably had better odds of getting hit by lightning than to get a bounce like that again. The assists on Murphy’s tying goal went to Finnish Import Rasmus Svartstrom and Bryce Sookoro.
While on the Power Play The Bucks Tanner Fennell made it 3-2 at 12:04 of the second period with the helpers going to Nelson, BC native Bryce Sookoro and Grafton, MA native Shane Baker.
Wolf Giles sniped his second of the night with a nice snipe from the top of the circles. From Beland the site says Beland got it but it was clearly Giles. Time of that goal was 13:03 of the middle period.
Then Kaslo Ferner scored short handed for the Bucks on a breakaway after the Bulldogs couldn’t control the puck in their zone to give them back the lead 4-3. He clanked it off the post and in beating Caufield at 15:06 of the second period the assist went to Malachi Freh.
Shots on goal in the second period were 23-17 for the Bucks
Mississauga, Ontario native Ryan Castle scores from the point to tie the game up at 4 at 2:53 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Ben Rakowski and Tyler Wood. Castle played last season with St. Andrew’s College.
Bulldogs got a 4 minute power play with 7:25 left and Nayan Pai scored from the point to make it 5-4, and they still had 2 minutes of Power Play time to work with. The assists on the goal went to Wolf Giles and Jamie Darlison.
The Bulldogs got a penalty with 1:29 left in the game and the Bucks pulled their goalie for 6 on 4 and the Bulldogs managed to hold on for the win.
Sam Caufield made 38 saves on the 42 shots that he faced. Caufield played great I was also really impressed with how he could move the puck and pass it sending Giles on a break late in the second. For the Bucks Thunder Bay native Kolton Bourret made 35 saves on the 40 shots that he faced. Bourret played last season with the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Kaslo Ferner 2) Wolf Giles 3) Bryce Bryant
Attendance in Cranbrook was not listed but looked decent for preseason considering they play in a huge barn.
Bulldogs next game is Saturday September 14th against the Brooks Bandits in Blackfalds
