The Brantford Bulldogs Eastern Conference Semi-Final series with the North Bay Battalion turned north on Sunday afternoon for Game 3 at the Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens. Entering Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead, the Bulldogs were looking to take a stranglehold on the series.
Ryan Chamberlain made his OHL Playoffs debut on Sunday afternoon with Dylan Tsherna listed as day-to-day after exiting Game 2. The Battalion got exactly the start they were looking for on home ice as just 34-seconds into the game, Cam Warren found himself skating down the middle of the ice alone after Owen Protz had lost his helmet and needed to make a change on the Bulldogs bench. Warren’s shot got into the pads of Ryerson Leenders but just squeezed through for Warren’s 4th of the playoffs and the Battalion’s first lead of the series. Leenders was solid following the early marker, denying Battalion captain Ethan Procyszyn on a one-timer from the left-circle and making a nice blocker stop on a Lirim Amidovski drive from above the left circle. The Bulldogs killed off a delay of game penalty around the mid-point of the period and turned the momentum of the frame from there. Mike McIvor, making his first start of the series, had to be sharp in guiding 10 shots aside through the period. Marek Vanacker poured three on the North Bay goal through the first 20 minutes, while McIvor robbed Zachary Sandhu on a clear breakaway out of the penalty box, to keep the Battalion lead intact to the locker room.
For the rest of the full game recap, check out the Bulldogs Web site.
Story by Reed Duthie