Bulldogs edge IceDogs on Thursday Night

NIAGARA, ON – The IceDogs welcomed the Hamilton Bulldogs to Niagara for the final time this season in the QEW Rivalry, for the first leg of a home and home. A back and forth matchup between the canines resulted in the visitors squeaking out a 4-3 victory.

Starting Goaltenders: Owen Flores (NIAG), Tristan Malboeuf (HAM)

The home side would open the scoring near the eight-minute mark of the opening period as Andrew LeBlanc would carry the puck in the zone and get it to Declan Waddick who would wrist his 24^th goal of the season to get the Meridian Centre crowd into the game.

The Bulldogs would tie the game at the midway mark, leading to the teams going into the break tied at one apiece.

In the middle period Andrew Wycisk would take a point shot that had eyes, getting past a screen in front and beating Malboeuf for his 2^nd of the season, giving the IceDogs the 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs would tie it on a rebound around the ten-minute mark of the middle period on a rebound.

Nick Lardis would give the visitors the lead on a one timer late in the middle period, a lead they would take in to the room after two.

The IceDogs would start the final period with Lavoie outworking his man down low, getting it to Ride at the point and Chris O’Flaherty redirecting the puck in to tie the game. The play would be challenged and overturned as it was deemed offside.

On an IceDogs powerplay Juan Copeland would pick up the rebound off the Ride point shot and pot in his 10^th goal of the season to tie the game 3-3. The Bulldogs would take the lead back thanks to Lawson Sherk.

The IceDogs would fight hard with the goalie pulled but were not able to get the game tying goal. Owen Flores stopped 42 of 46 shots in the defeat. Niagara will travel to Hamilton tomorrow for the final game at First Ontario Centre for at least three seasons due to the upcoming renovations, finishing off the final game of the QEW Rivalry.

Three Stars

1. HAM Lawson Sherk (2 goals, 1 assist)
2. HAM Florian Xhekaj (1 goal, 1 assist)
3. NIAG Andrew LeBlanc (2 assists)

Team Stats

Powerplay: NIAG: 1/2, HAM: 0/1

Shots: NIAG: 34 , HAM: 46

Goal Scorers

• NIAG D. Waddick (24) A: A. LeBlanc, R. VanNetten
• HAM F. Xhekaj (11) A: L. Sherk, P. Thomas
• NIAG A. Wycisk (2) A: Z. Lavoie
• HAM L. Sherk (9) A: N. Van Vliet
• NIAG J. Copeland (10) A: B. Ride, A. LeBlanc PP
• HAM L. Sherk (10) A: F. Xhekaj