HAMILTON, ONTARIO. The Bulldogs are back-to-back this weekend with home ice advantage, a 3-game winning streak and 500 fans in the building for the first time since December 31st, 2021.
The Bulldogs faced off against the Eastern Conference leading Mississauga Steelheads for the 5th time this season. The Bulldogs entered the afternoon still missing Olympian Mason McTavish, Captain Colton Kammerer and Assistant Captain Logan Morrison but looked to a deep bench to pick up a potentially season defining win. The first period saw both teams come out conservative, trying to find their footing while Marco Costantini and Joe Ranger saw shots right from the puck drop. Both teams had their chances before the period was out with each side going to the power play but after 20 minutes of play Costantini and Ranger kept the contest at a standstill, 0-0 heading to the locker rooms.
With tensions rising early in the second both teams looked poised to break the 0-0 tie with the Bulldogs getting the better of the chances. The edge in play led to Ryan Winterton scoring his 5th of the season and broke the wall of Ranger with a beautiful cradle to the backhand from the tremendous zone entry work of George Diaco and Nathan Staios at 3:50. The Bulldogs special teams showed up this period, killing off 3 penalties, taking away the time and space of the Steelheads attackers and getting shining defensive performances from the likes of rookies Dononvan & Van Vliet. Meanwhile Marco Costantini continued to stand as the unbreakable wall for the Bulldogs in goal, stopping all 7 shots he faced in the frame. The Bulldogs managed to stay cool, calm and collected, avoiding a late period scrum that put them on the power-play and the Dogs ended the second period leading with 20-14 in shots and a 1-0 goal lead.
The Bulldogs headed into the third period with a man advantage for 1:51 and nearly doubled the lead through Avery Hayes’ wicked slot wrister if not for the glove of Ranger. With 14 minutes left the Bulldogs powerplay unit went on for the 4th time as Owen Beck ran over Costantini but again couldn’t extend the lead through Ranger. Costantini standing as the backbone of the team came up an incredible save against off Kasper Larsen’s late point drive to keep the game in favor of the Bulldogs. Despite a final Steelheads press, after 60 minutes of play the Bulldogs pulled off the victory 1-0 with Costantini stopping all 21 he faced for his 3rd shutout of the year.
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