The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have opened 2019 with two overtime losses and a win, picking up four points in three games.
The Bulldogs travelled to Victoria on Wednesday, Jan. 2 to take on the Grizzlies. Although Alberni Valley opened the scoring with a goal by Ryan Moon just 10:39 into the first period, the rest of the night was a back and forth game. Bulldogs forward Ryan Miotto netted two tying goals, but Victoria scored just 20 seconds into the overtime period to take the game.
The Bulldogs hosted last year’s BCHL Fred Page Cup winners the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday. Wenatchee opened scoring in the first, but Bulldogs defenceman Grayson Valente added one of his own before the end of the period. Fellow defenceman Aaron Bohlinger was the lone scorer in the second, but Wenatchee tied things up early in the third, forcing the game to overtime. Wenatchee scored in overtime to take the game 3-2.
A Sunday matinee game at home started with Langley taking the lead in the first, but Bulldogs forward Isaac Tonkin-Palmer tied things up only seconds later with an unassisted goal. Langley would score again in the first to take a 2-1 lead.
It was Bulldogs forward Jackson Doucet who played the hero in the second period, knocking a rebound into the uncovered Langley net during a powerplay chance to tie things up with fewer than 30 seconds left in the period. Moon then scored on a breakaway in the third period, launching a wrister past Langley goaltender Shayne Battler to take the 3-2 lead.
It looked like Langley scored a tying goal, but the goal was called off as Bulldogs goaltender Cole Demers had his glove on the puck. Doucet scored his second of the afternoon with an empty-netter, 4-2, and the Bulldogs took their first win of the year.
Next up, the Bulldogs will be heading out for a three-game road trip. They will be in Wenatchee on Friday, Jan. 11, followed by a Saturday game in West Kelowna and a Sunday game in Coquitlam.
