ADRIAN, Mich. - The ACHA Division I Bulldogs would open up their season against the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings in an exhibition contest on Thursday night (Sept. 6) at Arrington Ice Arena. The Bulldogs are coming off of a Conference Tournament Championship (GLCHL) and a National Championship Tournament birth.
In the first period, Kalamazoo was pressuring, but the Bulldogs countered back with solid play from senior captain Chris Dixon and sophomore Marc Madarasz. The Bulldogs would soon in the period draw a power play, but were unable to convert on the opportunity. The Jr. K-Wings would not skate even for very long as they drew another penalty and the Bulldogs would again pressure the net but could not put one in the net.
The Jr. K-Wings would strike first after a Jr. K-Wing found himself wide open in front and put it past starting goalie Louis Ronayne for the first goal. Soon after the Jr. K-Wings put themselves in another penalty killing situation. The Bulldogs had a great chance right in front, but were turned away by the starting goalie. With around forty-five seconds left in the Bulldog power play senior Kevin Sunde was called for a tripping minor and after releasing their own penalty the Jr. K-Wings would be on the power play. The Bulldogs would kill the penalty, but after it was released the Jr. K-Wings put another passed Ronayne with one minute remaining giving them the 2-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs would begin the second period and they turned up the hitting. Ronayne would be called on to make a huge save right in front as he turned away a Jr. K-Wing. The Bulldogs were really starting to put pressure on the net more and more. The Bulldogs and the Jr. K-Wings would both earn two-minute roughing penalties at the 3:40 mark in the period. The Bulldogs would finally light the lamp with a goal from freshman Senate Patton receiving a pass from Madarasz in a 2-on-1 opportunity as Patton beat the goalie glove side high hitting the top corner for his first career goal as a Bulldog.
Midway through the period the Bulldogs would switch out goalies as sophomore Frank Crupi would finish out the rest of the game. The two teams would each skate a man down with the Jr. K-Wings releasing their penalty first giving them a power play. With sixteen seconds remaining in the kill, freshman Andre Rakas would earn a penalty. The Bulldogs would return a skater to the ice but were still skating a man down. The Bulldogs would kill the penalty and go on the offensive, but the Jr. K-Wings would not give in. The Bulldogs had a golden opportunity but could not finish. With 3:28 left junior Logan Blackwell would lay out the hit of the game connecting with an open ice hit right around center ice. The Jr. K-Wings would put in another this time against Crupi at 18:34. The shot came in from the point and got a redirection to slide in past Crupi giving the Jr. K-Wings another two-goal lead. Later on the Jr. K-Wings would have to send off another player to the locker room after getting two ten-minute penalties and a game misconduct earning an ejection. The period would end with the Bulldogs still down two goals in a 3-1 game.
The third period would start with the Bulldogs on the penalty kill for the first fifty-nine seconds of the period. The Jr. K-Wings would make the Bulldogs pay as they scored just fifteen seconds into the period putting them up 4-1. Crupi made a big pad save to keep the Bulldogs from going down 5-1, but there was a lot of back-and-forth hockey being played with almost eight minutes being played without a stoppage. The Bulldogs let in another off with a shot from the point that beat Crupi five-hole giving the Jr. K-Wings a 5-1 lead.
The Bulldogs would have another penalty to kill and they did so successfully after only allowing the Jr. K-Wings one shot on the power play. The Bulldogs would earn a power play opportunity with 14:27 left in the third period. The Bulldogs would continue to pressure the net and the Jr. K-Wings would get another penalty keeping the Bulldogs on the power play for another two minutes. The Jr. K-Wings would kill the penalty and return a man to the ice to skate even. The Bulldogs would end the period and the game falling in a 5-1 defeat to the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings.
The Bulldogs are back in action Friday night as they face-off against the Michigan Warriors at 7:00 pm at Arrington Ice Arena.
submitted by Erick Meyer
