The Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Victoria Grizzlies played to overtime for the third straight game on Tuesday, Mar. 6.
The game ended, once again, in Alberni’s favour.
The first period of the game was scoreless, as both goaltenders John Hawthorne and Kurtis Chapman stood up to the test. The Grizzlies opened scoring in the second with a deflection from Marty Westhaver, but Bulldogs forward Julian Benner responded with a tying goal a few minutes later as his shot bounced off Chapman and a Grizzlies defender.
The Bulldogs took their first lead of the series in the third period with another goal from forward Paul Selleck.
They appeared to have the game captured, as the Grizzlies took a pair of penalties in the dying minutes of the period and the Bulldogs were given powerplay chances. But the Grizzlies fought back, and Matt Doran scored shorthanded to tie the game with less than a minute on the clock.
Both teams saw chances in overtime, but it was Michael Sacco’s goal 15 minutes in that won the game in front of more than 1,100 Bulldogs fans.
Hawthorne came up big for the Bulldogs, making 52 saves throughout the game.
The Bulldogs will now be taking the ice at home tonight (Wednesday, Mar. 7) with a 3-0 series lead, and a chance to close out the series at home.