It was Bulldogs vs. Terriers in the OMHA Midget A Semi-final series, as Bradford faced off against Orillia in the Playdowns.
Snow squalls and whiteout conditions led to the cancellation of Game 1, scheduled for Feb. 26 in Orillia – which meant that the opening game in the matchup between the Bulldogs and the Terriers was held Saturday night, at the BWG Leisure Centre in Bradford.
Both teams came out skating hard and fast – but Orillia was first on the scoreboard, with Thomas Bovett (#3) taking advantage of a Bradford penalty to score on the power play, with 9:13 left in the 1st Period. The goal put the Terriers ahead 1-0.
The Bulldogs knotted the score five minutes later, on a goal by Noah Miranda (#22). The period ended with the score tied 1-1, a precursor of things to come.
The second period saw more no-holds-barred hockey, with plenty of hard checks, as the penalties starting to mount up. First Orillia, then Bradford sent players to the penalty box, but neither side could capitalize.
With 4:42 left on the clock, Carson Cameron (#25) scored, to give Bradford a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs were saved by the buzzer, when a Terrier shot found the net just a little too late.
The Terriers came back in Period 3 determined to even the score. Orillia’s Noah Mountain (#10) notched the tying goal with 11:55 left on the clock in regulation time.
The rest of the period saw plenty of end-to-end hockey and plenty of breakaways, but no scoring. Regulation play ended 2-2, sending Game 1 into 10 minutes of sudden-death overtime. Despite each side pressing hard, the teams had to settle for the tie.
The schedule has been changed, due to the cancellation. Games 2 and 3 are now slated to take place in Orillia, on March 1 and 2 respectively, at the West Orillia arena. Game 4 will be back in Bradford on March 5, 8 p.m. at the BWG Leisure Centre. Come out and cheer on the Bulldogs.
