The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are up 2-0 in preseason action after a weekend sweep against the visiting Cowichan Valley Capitals.
On Friday night, the Bulldogs scored four first period goals on their way to a 5-1 preseason win over the Capitals to kick off their 2020-21 season in earnest.
Tyler Kostelecky, who missed almost all of last season with a season-ending shoulder injury, opened the scoring just 52 seconds into the game. Forward Oliver Fizet scored two goals in the opening frame, which sandwiched rookie Ethan Bono’s first BCHL goal to round out the first period at 4-0 Bulldogs.
Cowichan’s Jacob Paler-Chow got the Caps on the board in the second, while the lone goal in the third period came off the stick of Bulldogs newcomer Adam Jeffery. Bulldogs goaltender Jackson Glassford needed just 15 saves to earn the win.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs got off to a quick start again as Cam Newson beat Caps goalie Jayden Shull at the 4:36 mark of the opening period. In the second, Bulldogs defencemen Jimmy Rayhill and Mattias Dal Monte each scored to stretch the Bulldogs lead to 3-0.
In the third period, Stephen Castagna got his first goal of the preseason to make it 4-0, before the Caps’ Brendan Kerr scored to get Cowichan on the board. Dawson Tritt pushed the lead to 5-1 before the Capitals got a late power play goal to close the gap to 5-2. Castagna put the game away with his second of the period into the empty net with just 40 seconds remaining in the game.
Luke Pearson picked up the 6-2 win in goal as he made 20 saves on the night.
The Bulldogs will travel to Duncan next weekend for another pair of games against the Cowichan Valley Capitals before their 14-day quarantine break kicks and they can join the Nanaimo Clippers and Victoria Grizzlies.
