Bulldogs make it clean sweep over Lions with road win

TREBLE TOP: Mikey Speare led the way for Bradford Bulldogs with a hat-trick in their 9-3 win at Nottingham Lions 2.

BRADFORD BULLDOGS made it a clean sweep of Nottingham Lions in 2023-24 when they won 9-3 at the National Ice Centre. 

The fifth away win of the season saw the Bulldogs move up to sixth in the standings as the jostle for play-off seedings between them and Altrincham Aces continues until the final games. 

Michael Speare led the way with a hat-trick in his MVP performance, while there were also doubles for Connor Medley, Josh Stockton and Declan Kime.

But Andy Brown’s team were made to work for their win, going 2-0 behind inside the first six minutes following Lions’ strikes from Harvey Smith and Jake Fisher. 

It wasn’t until the 12th minute that the Bulldogs got on the board, Speare opening his account when he was first to react to a loose puck in front of the net at 11.28.

The visitors got back on level terms when Kime rifled one into the roof of the net from the bottom of the right circle before they got themselves for the first time in the game when Medley was all alone at the back post to fire the puck home. 

The lead doubled exactly three minutes later when Stockton rounded the net and fed Kime who slotted home from in front. 

Chances came and went but it wasn’t until just under halfway through the third that the net was found again, Medley doubling his tally to make it 5-2 at 49.41 after Stockton found him in front with a neat pass from the left circle.

Speare matched his team-mate’s output just under two minutes later with a tip-in off David Williams before Stockton opened his account from in front at 53.41 to make it 7-2. 

Speare’s hat-trick moment came just under two minutes later when he seized on a loose puck and rifled home, before Stockton made it two for the night when he rounded Lions goalie Owen Crowder on a breakaway. 

The Lions got a late consolation with just four seconds remaining when Fisher got his second of the game. 

This weekend sees the Bulldogs host their last game of the NIHL North Two regular season when they welcome already-crowned champions Telford Tigers 2 to ‘The Pound’.
Doors open at 4.45pm for a 5.30pm face-off.

Elsewhere at the weekend, the Bulldogs Under-18s endured a tough time in East Yorkshire when they lost out 9-3 to Kingston Sharks.

The visitors found themselves up against it when they went into the second intermission trailing 4-0, Beau Reeder leading the way for the hosts with a hat-trick, with Josh Cerrino also getting on the scoresheet. 

REPLY: Ollie Massey got the Bulldogs' on the board at Kingston in the third period. Picture courtesy of All Sports Photography

Any hope of a third period comeback was soon ended when McKenzie Barker and then Jack Hayward got on the scoresheet for the Sharks inside the first minute of the third period. 

Matthew Pickup made it 7-0 in the 47th minute before Ollie Massey salvaged some pride for the visitors when he opened the Bulldogs’ account at 49.04. 

Only 14 more seconds had elapsed, however, before the Sharks restored their seven-goal lead through Rocky Jenkinson.

Daragh Spawforth for the Bulldogs and the Sharks’ Jay Musson traded goals before Danny Harrison grabbed a 58th-minute consolation from close in.