ADRIAN, Mich. - This past weekend was one of the toughest for the ACHA Division I men's hockey team. The team faced Davenport Thursday night, Oakland Friday night, and then Oakland again on Sunday. The weekend was a make or break stretch and potentially determined if the Bulldogs get into the National Tournament where they could earn a trip to Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to having to play the top two teams in the conference they had yet to beat either of them entering the weekend. One more thing that made Sunday's game against Oakland important is that it was Senior Night. It is the last time the seniors will play a true home game at Arrington Ice Arena.

In the first period it was back and forth hockey as both teams were battling for position and control. Both using the body to make the game more physical. There is no love lost between these two conference rivals as the talk between the benches was less friendly than the play on the ice. The Grizzlies were starting to show pressure, but the Bulldogs countered with solid and consistent body play. The Bulldogs were firing at the net totaling ten shots in the period but they were unable to get through as both teams were skating even after the first period.

The second period was much like the first with things starting to really get chippy. The Bulldogs continued to work, but so were the Grizzlies with neither team willing to give an inch. It wasn't until the 12:55 mark in the period that the Grizzlies scored that all-important first goal. The Grizzlies passed it back and forth and starting goalie Matt Anderson went with them, but made one too many slides from pipe to pipe as Jordan MacDonald beat Anderson. However, it would take more than one goal to beat the Bulldogs. After the goal the Grizzlies started to show high and heavy pressure, but the Bulldogs refused to quit going into the locker room after two down 1-0.

In the third period the Bulldogs started to turn it up. With both teams refusing to back down in this one-goal game the game started to get even more physical than it already was. With time starting to be in short supply the most unlikely hero came up big for the Bulldogs. Senior Justen Mitchell, refusing to end his senior night with a loss, skated and maneuvered through literally the entire defense against the far boards. When he got in front of Grizzlies goalie Matt Toter he made his move and beat him five-hole to tie it up 1-1. When the goal was scored the entire team bench and stands erupted in cheers. Later in the period Anderson for the Bulldogs was asked to come up huge a number of times and when he needed to get big he did, making stops right on his front porch and it would propel the game into overtime.

In overtime both teams skate four to open up the ice more, but neither team was able to get through the walls that are Toter for the Grizzlies and Anderson for the Bulldogs. This meant a shootout with a best of three.

The Bulldogs would go first with Ryan Bachman one of the best players in one on one situations taking the first shot. He skated in straight on made one move and shot straight with Toter making the pad save.

The Grizzlies first shooter Alex Hoffman skated in and spun around right in front and backhanded a shot, but Anderson wasn't fooled making the save.

The Bulldogs second shooter would be Alex Dobrzeniecki who skated in straight and shot with a wrister that turned into a glove save for Toter.

The Grizzlies second shooter was the goal scorer Jordan MacDonald, he skated in straight took his shot but Anderson shut the door again keeping everything knotted up at 0-0 in the shootout.

The third and final shooter for the Bulldogs would be Spencer Bonomo. He skated in from right to left faked the backhand pulled it across and shot the wrister with a wide-open net to take a 1-0 shootout lead with the Grizzlies third shooter still to go.

The final shooter for the Grizzlies would be Billy Balent. He skated in made his move and beat Anderson five-hole, but he was living in Pipe City as the puck clanked off the pipe and away from the net. In one weekend the Bulldogs played the top two teams in the conference, but showed that when all the pieces are put together they can beat anybody as they knocked off both the Panthers once and the Grizzlies twice.