Bulldogs draw another blank against dominant Aces

MEET THE TEAM: Jason Armitage, from game day sponsors Spirits and Sports Bradford meets the Bulldogs’ players following their tough 9-0 loss at home against Altrincham Aces. 

Report by Lucy Hirst

BRADFORD BULLDOGS completed their back-to-back games against Altrincham Aces but came up blank once again against their NIHL North Two rivals, this time losing out 9-0 at The Pound.

It follows on from a 6-0 defeat in Altrincham the week before,

The first 20 minutes of the game at Bradford Ice Arena - sponsored by Spirits and Sports Bar Bradford - proved to be a challenge for the hosts and when forward Thomas Chong was sent to the box on an interference call, it gave the Aces their third power play chance of the game. 

It was an opportunity they didn’t pass up when Carl Price drove to the net to beat Bulldogs’ netminder Jack Mickevicius at 15.37.

The guests soon doubled their lead after pulling netminder Bayley Hodkinson on a delayed penalty call, an advantage which enabled Elliot Hunt to fire the puck into the top right-hand corner at 17.55. 

It was harsh on Mickevicius, who turned away all but two of the 20 shots on his goal in the opening 20 minutes.

The game was effectively ended as a contest, however, when the visitors plundered four goals in as many minutes around the halfway point of the game.

As the hosts struggled to keep players out the box, this made it easier for Altrincham’s Price to skate down the middle of ice to make it 3-0 at 29.45.

Kane Morin and David Kamenicek were then able to create a breakout pass which led to Morin scoring from a redirecting shot that Sam Dunford had set up at 31.40

There was to be no respite for the hosts, either, as Billy King and former Bulldogs’ forward Malachi Budd scored within 20 seconds of each other in the 34th minute.

It got worse less than two minutes into the third when Max Sullivan fired past Mickevicus at 42.24 into the bottom corner on a power play brought about by a tripping call on Bulldogs’ captain Keiron Furlong.

Just under three minutes, Price finished off a memorable performance by scoring a backhand goal past Mickevicius at 45.16 to complete his hat-trick.

With 10 seconds remaining, the Aces had the final word when Ronnie Grimes picked up the puck from Morin before releasing a quick shot to make it 9-0.