Bulldogs looking to close the gap on leaders Sutton Sting

Bulldogs’ head coach, Andy Brown.

BRADFORD BULLDOGS head into this weekend’s game with Sutton Sting acutely aware of what the NIHL North Two leaders are capable of.

Sunday’s trip to Ice Sheffield for a lunch-time face-off (1pm) will be the second meeting in eight days between the teams, Sutton having won 5-0 at Bradford Ice Arena last weekend to extend their winning start to the season to seven games.

They were deserved winners in West Yorkshire, but Bulldogs’ head coach Andy Brown believes he saw enough in his team’s performance to offer confidence going into Sunday’s rematch. 

“We go into this game knowing full well what Sutton are about,” said Brown.

"They showed at ours why they are the early pace-setters this season because they have some quality players in their line-up. But we battled hard for the entire 60 minutes against them and, while they were dominant on the day, we certainly didn't make it easy for them. 

"We need to do the same this week but try to make sure we limit their goal-scoring opportunities more. If we can do that, we give ourselves a chance - as long as we make sure we take any opportunities we create at the other end. 

"We did that on home ice last week, had a handful of good looks on their net and were unlucky not to get one or two goals on the board."

The 5-0 defeat was the second of a busy weekend for the Bulldogs, who on Saturday lost out 4-3 in overtime at Coventry NIHL Blaze.

It was hard on the visitors, who had got themselves ahead on three separate occasions, first through Tom Mardell at 16.23 then, after Daniel Kent had levelled, again through a 38th-minute power play strike from Jack Wooding.

Max Soden equalised on the power play early in the third only for in-form Lucas Vince to hit his sixth goal of the season for a 3-2 Bulldogs lead at 45.29. 

It was Soden again who proved his team’s saviour, overcoming a Bulldogs 5-on-3 power play to beat Sam Bolwell from distance, Kent then grabbing the extra point on offer in overtime when he fired a rocket from just outside the blue line to secure the win.

On Sunday, the Bulldogs trailed 1-0 after the first period through a Sam Colton effort before the Sting took control in the second, firing 33 shots on Jake Lowndes’s net and scoring twice more, first through Ryan Apsley at 24.18 and then captain Lawson Glasby at 31.34 on the power play. 

Another Sting power play strike - this time from Matt Jeffcock - made it 4-0 at 46.29 before Cameron Glasby rounded off the scoring at 51.49.