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Sunday, December 6, 2015

BULLDOGS PREVAIL IN 2OT AFTER EXPRESS RALLY

The Express erased a three goal deficit, but it still wasn't enough as they fell 5-4 in double overtime Sunday afternoon to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Click here for boxscore

Both teams were wrapping up a long week. The Express were playing their fourth game in five days. Alberni Valley was playing their third game in as many days after starting their weekend Friday night in Trail.

Early on it was the Bulldogs who looked like the fresher team. Nathan Dingman opened the scoring when his shot from the right wing rang off the goal post but buried the rebound of his original shot beating Tyger Howat with a shot between the pads.

The Bulldogs entered the game with just one win in their last eight games. One of the areas that has hurt Alberni Valley during that time was their penalty kill. It would be one area that would keep the Express in the game.

Charlie Barrow pulled the Express even with a power play goal midway through the first period unleashing a one timer from the left point after a won faceoff in the Bulldogs zone.



The game was only tied for seventeen seconds as Chris Schutz snapped a shot from the slot between the pads of Howat after the Express were soft in their defensive zone coverage after the pass came out from the corner.

Dingman added his second of the game early in the second period standing in front of the Express net and finishing off a feed from Ryan Finnegan and tipping it in from the lip of the blue paint in front of Howat. Finnegan and Quinn Syrydiuk each had a pair of assists on the Dingman goals.

More Express defensive breakdowns led to the fourth Bulldogs goal. Kyle Kauffman found himself alone in front of Howat and he buried the rebound of his own shot for a 4-1 Bulldogs lead just 1:22 after Dingman's goal.

Owen Stout began the Express comeback with a wrist shot from the right wing that beat Brody Claeys over the glove. Sunday's game would be a career afternoon for Stout as he finished with one goal and three assists for four points.



Stout then had a hand on Taylor Green's power play goal that pulled the Express within one. Green providing the screen on the power play tipped Charlie Barrow's point shot. Barrow finished with one goal and an assist and was great all over the ice for the Express Sunday.

The Express played this game with only 11 forwards after Jackson Cressey and Blake Hayward met up with Head Coach Barry Wolff in Leduc Alberta for the start of selection camp for Team Canada West for the upcoming World Junior A Challenge. Midway through the second period the Express were down to 10 forwards after Matt Michie was ejected following his fight after he had to answer the bell for his hit on Quinn Syrydiuk along the boards.

Austin McIlMurray completed the come back for the Express in the third period with the third power play goal for the Express. They finished 3 for 4 on the power play and killed off all three Bulldogs power plays.

Early in overtime the Express had their chances to take the two points. McIlMurray had two good chances in the first two minutes but wasn't able to strike for his second overtime winner of the season.

Alberni Valley prevailed in the first minute of the second overtime as Bulldogs defenseman Paul Meyer beat an Express defenseman to the puck to keep it in the Express end. Then Meyer snapped a shot through the legs of Howat from a sharp angle for the 5-4 Alberni Valley win.

The Bulldogs finished with 49 shots while the Express sent 31 pucks the way of Brody Claeys.

The Express finished their busy four game in five day week picking up three of a possible eight points. They will host the Wenatchee Wild on Wednesday.






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