The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have forced a Game 7 in their BC Hockey League Coastal Conference finals after beating Surrey Eagles 5-2 at home Monday night (May 13 2024).
The Bulldogs scored five unanswered goals in the second and third periods to defeat the Eagles.
The game was physical but fairly low on penalties; the Bulldogs were 1-for-5 on the power play, including Grayson Badger’s goal at 18:50 of the first period that put them ahead 1-0 after one period. Surrey’s Micah Berger tied it up on a breakaway at 9:15 of the second period, but Samuel Leonard spoiled the comeback a minute later with assists from Lucas Buzziol and Braxton Buckberger.
Surrey’s Caden Cranston tied the game again with an unassisted marker at 17:48 of the second period.
Nicholas Beneteau scored the winner for the Bulldogs at 10:04 of the third period, unassisted. Two empty-net goals by Hayden Stavroff (from Badger and Braden Blace) at 18:39 and Buzziol (Beneteau, Mason Croucher) at 19:13 put the game out of reach for the Eagles.
Bulldogs coach Joe Martin said his team played a mature game “without letting the series momentum really rattle us mentally.” Two games earlier Martin had said the team only played well for five minutes in a game they lost to Surrey at home.
“That really caught us and mentally we weren’t sharp,” Martin said. “The last (two) games we’ve been much more sharp in our brains and what we’re doing on the ice…We had a little bit more step and we were a little faster tonight than in the past.”
The shots on goal were more even between the teams for Game 6, however Martin said the team hadn’t changed their game much. “Tonight we were just really good.”
Callum Tung faced 37 shots and only two got past him. He continues to be solid in net for the Bulldogs. Monday’s game earned him the first star of the game. Martin said he isn’t surprised. “We were seeing it all the time in practice and seeing how hot he can be.”
Game 7 will take place at South Surrey Arena tonight (Tuesday, May 14) with the puck dropping at 7:15 p.m. Listen to the game on 93.3 PEAK FM or subscribe to the BCHL’s streaming service.
ICE CHIPS…Fans have tentatively planned a rally for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 14 at the Alberni Valley Multiplex parking lot to send the team off with a cheer…There were 1,587 people in the Dawg Pound on Monday night.
