Cooper Dennis Strikes a Pair; Comeback Falls Short in OT
Published on November 6, 2025 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release
PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO. The Brantford Bulldogs continued their four-game road trip on Thursday night with their first trip of the season to the Peterborough Memorial Centre to meet the Petes, opening up a run of three games in four days against divisional opponents.
Thursday night's matchup marked the return to the lineup of winger Nikolas Rossetto making his 2025-26 season debut. The game started a little slow for the top team in the OHL with Dylan Tsherna and Adam Jiricek taking back-to-back penalties just 55-seconds apart and allowing for an extended 5-on-3 that the Petes capitalized on. At 6:57, Adam Novotny turned high in the left circle and drove a wrist shot through traffic to elude Ryerson Leenders and give the Petes a 1-0 lead on the C zech winger's 9th of the campaign. The Bulldogs began to turn the tide from there and equalized the period on a power-play of their own at 10:43. Adam Jiricek started the play out high, moving the puck to the left circle for Jake O'Brien who twisted it right back across to Adam Benak in the right circle. Benak fired a shot off the back bar past Easton Rye for his 9th of the season tying the game 1- 1 and extending Jake O'Brien's league leading assist streak to 11 games. Before the period was out Ryerson Leenders gave his team another boost from the net mouth, Adam Novotny hopped on a bouncing puck on the right-wing side, flying through the slot and trying to pick the top corner, Novotny's effort was turned away by a tremendous Leenders shoulder save, assuring the period came to a 1-1 close.
The Petes got off to a tremendous start in the middle frame with Aiden Young laying the puck forward for a 2-on-1 with Braydon McCallum & Brennan Faulkner where the Delhi product found Faulkner to collect his 6th of the season for a 2-1 Petes lead just 47-seconds into the middle frame. Peterborough extended the lead at 8:41 after McCallum batted down a Bulldogs clearing attempt, sending Young in alone to record his 2nd of the season and a 3-1 lead for the hosts. Caleb Malhotra then took things into his own hands, dropping the gloves in a spirited tilt with Colin Fitzgerald, looking to fire up his teammates. The Bulldogs built their way back in the latter stages of the period, with the game 4-on-4, Adam Benak won a defensive zone draw to Vladimir Dravecky who sent Benak & Cooper Dennis forward on a 2-on-1 that became a 2-on- 0 when Blake Gowan lost his footing with Dennis taking a feed from Benak on the left side to wire in his 7th of the season and pull the Bulldogs to within one. Before the period was out Ryerson Leenders came up with another monstrous stop on Gens Ula with the defenseman crashing down from the right point looking high glove side only to be denied by a slick Leenders stop.
With furious pressure in the third period, the Brantford Bulldogs found a way to keep their streak alive to open the season. Skating 6-on-4 at 19:07, Caleb Malhotra laid the puck into the right circle for Adam Benak who, as he was being tripped down to the ice, sent it to the left side of the net for a waiting Cooper Dennis to knock in his 2nd of the game and 8th of the season to tie the game 3-3 and earn the Bulldogs a point out of the night. Continuing their streak without a regulation loss to open the season. Into the overtime session the Bulldogs appeared to have the game on the stick of Adam Benak twice, first launching down the right-wing side and dragging the puck to the front of the net and trying to beat Rye under his arm where the Petes netminder squeezed the puck to his body to keep the game alive. Moments later with the Bulldogs in possession again, Benak eluded his countryman Adam Novotny who tackled Benak down to the ice but play was allowed to continue. After another chance from Jake O'Brien, G ens Ula was able to knock the puck forward for a 2-on-1 with Adam Novotny who sent a shot past Ryerson Leenders for his 2nd of the night to end the game at 3:32 of the extra session.
The Brantford Bulldogs return to action on Friday night, November 7th, paying a visit to the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa for a 7:05 puck drop in the return of Ben Danford & Zack Sandhu to Oshawa.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 6, 2025
- Petes Take Down First Place Bulldogs in Overtime - Peterborough Petes
- Frontenacs Shut out in Windsor Thursday Night - Kingston Frontenacs
- Cooper Dennis Strikes a Pair; Comeback Falls Short in OT - Brantford Bulldogs
- Know Before You Go: BarDown Meet & Greet + Peter DeBoer Level of Legacy Ceremony - Kitchener Rangers
- Fronts Face off against the Western Conference Leading Spitfires Tonight - Kingston Frontenacs
- 2025 Pink the Rink Commemorative Jersey Auction - Guelph Storm
- Game Day - November 7 - GUE at SOO - Guelph Storm
- Skvortsov Claimed off CHL Waivers - Guelph Storm
- Beware of Current Fraudulent Email Scam Impersonating the Guelph Storm - Guelph Storm
- Kitchener Rangers Reveal 20th Edition of Remembrance Day Jersey - Kitchener Rangers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
