April
29th, 2005-
Despite
starting the season 1-3, the ‘Bulldogs’ finished with
the second best record (8-6) in the Continental League
to clinch their first ever playoff berth. During the
regular season, the ‘Dogs’ went a combined 0-5 vs. the
‘.45s’ and the ‘Nationals’; two of the three other teams
in the playoffs. The ‘Dogs’ opened the playoffs Friday
with a win over the ‘.45s, 5-1 in front of a near
capacity crowd of 25.
In
their two previous outings against the ‘.45s’, the
‘Bulldogs’ lost 2-0 and 6-2. The ‘.45s’ style is to
frustrate their opponents by playing a slower, much more
physical game. Needless to say, the ‘Dogs’ have fallen
victim to that style losing not only the two games, but
their composure and focus as well. On this night
however, they stuck to the game plan. This forced the
‘.45s’ to panic, play in a disarray of confusion and at
a tempo they are not conditioned for.
The two
clubs were locked in a defensive battle for the better
part of the first period. Although the ‘Dogs’ dominated
the time of possession, they were only able to score one
goal in their fourteen attempts. The lone goal came from
Ross Lemesurier with just under 3:30 to play on a hard
slapper that appeared to penetrate through the
goaltender’s chest.
The
second period was still fairly competitive, as neither
team could get much going offensively. The ‘Dogs’ again
dominated the time of possession in the attacking zone,
nailing thirteen shots on goal. The ‘.45s’ goalie made
some unbelievable stops, matching Alex Martinez’ skill
between the posts, to keep his team in the game.
However, in the last five minutes of the period, the
‘Dogs’ relentless attack finally paid off. They scored
two goals to give themselves a comfortable 3-0 lead. The
first goal was scored by Joey V. (assisted by Kurt
Swanson) on a one timer. The other was on a hard slap
shot by Jason Darfler.
The
third period wasn’t much different than the previous
two, with the ‘Dogs’ controlling the puck and the
offensive zone. They tallied two more goals scored by
Swanson and Joey V. (assisted again by Swanson) to take
a 5-0 lead. Perhaps the only sour note was the lone goal
given up by Martinez when the game was already decided.
“I can’t believe I let an easy cream puff shot like that
go in” said Martinez in disbelief.
“Great
hustle, unbelievable passing and an almost flawless
effort by everyone” said Darfler. “We didn’t let these
guys play their game, we forced them to play ours and
they couldn’t keep up. We wanted it more than they did
and the final score confirms just that.”
After
the game, the joyous ‘Bulldogs’ took the team photo on
the ice. Their joy was interrupted as the scorekeeper
questioned the roster and its players. The ‘.45s’
accused the club of suiting up a ringer for the playoff
game and protested the victory.
“That’s
just ludicrous” said Martinez. “This was a case of sour
grapes and poor sportsmanship on their part. Every
player we dressed has been on the roster since the start
of the season. If they had any doubt about the player or
players in question, they should’ve addressed it before
the game. What a way to spoil our victory.
After
the game, an investigative team was put in place by the
EAHL to probe the allegations. The evidence was
inconclusive and the ‘Bulldogs’ were cleared of any
wrongdoing. They will advance to the championship game.
