Day tree: Vilnius vs BULLDOGS LIEGE
Article by Bulldogs Liege
The Bulldogs played the last game of the tournament against Vilnius with the tournament in second place at stake. The game started with a penalty to Michael Distate but the Bulldogs managed it well. The beginning of the match was very messy with bad ice that did not help things. The teams seemed quite nervous with a lot of mistakes on both sides. And it was on their first opportunity in numerical advantage that the Bulldogs took the lead. Jordan Paulus took over in power play assisted by Andy Kolodziejczyk. Michael Distate had also deserved an assist on the game. It was then up to Troy Passingham to shine twice on powerplay opportunities versus Vilnius. Score after a period, 0-1 for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs started the second period at a numerical disadvantage but Troy stopped everything. The rest of the period was going to be much tighter with fewer chances. Until a shot from Jordan Paulus was deflected, Bryan Kolodjieczyck handed over to Bryan Henry who scored in an empty net! The Bulldogs then took advantage of a numerical advantage of 2 men to score another goal. Boet Van Gestel unleashed a shot that surprised the goalkeeper. Bryan Kolodziejczyk and Bryan Henry had assists and it was 0-3 after two periods.
In the third period, the Bulldogs managed the score until they took a double penalty. The Bulldogs bravely defended their cage and when the 2 Liège players returned to the ice, Bryan Kolodziejczyk scored 0-4 on a superb solo. Boet Van Gestel increaded the score with a shot from the blue line, assisted by Bryan Kolodziejczyk. With 8 minutes to go, Vilnius almost saved the honour, but the net had been moved. The score remained unchanged despite a last desperate attempt by the Lithuanians.
The Bulldogs finished second in this tournament, showing very high level hockey. Troy Passingham earned the title of best goalkeeper of the tournament. A tournament won by Istanbul therefore, but which will probably not participate in the next round, since its Russians will not be part of the game in Italy. Case to follow ...