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OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Crombie Caps Comeback as Dogs Down Fronts 4-2

January 27, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. The Brantford Bulldogs opened up a four game homestand on Saturday, hosting the Kingston Frontenacs in an East Division rivalry game. This meeting marks the fourth out of six encounters for the 2023-24 between these two teams.

Both sides were still without key pieces to their lineup entering the matinee with the Bulldogs without Nick Lardis & Patrick Thomas while the Frontenacs were missing Paul Ludwinski & Roman Schmidt. The hosts were quick to jump on the power play advantage but Mason Vaccari stood tall, stealing a near certain goal from Marek Vanacker with a brilliant reach back glove save along the goal line. Feeding off their goaltenders handiwork, the Frontenacs were first on the board as Jacob Battaglia created space to the top of the right circle to score his 23rd of the season at 10:44 with Matthew Soto and Vann Williamson getting the assists to allow them the 1-0 lead over the Bulldogs. The Frontenacs added to the lead at 15:23 on the power play. Linus Hemström recorded his 14th goal of the season from the top of the right circle with a little change up freeze in his shooting motion to find the back of the net, with Jacob Holmes and Christopher Thibodeau getting the assists. With time waining in the opening frame, the Bulldogs scrambled a puck at the side of the Kingston goal with Cole Brown coming close to the tap in. With heavy pressure on the Front defense behind the goal, the Bulldogs forecheck forced an errant pass that Owen Protz collected at the left point. Moving laterally to his right, Protz changed the shooting angle and fired a bullet through a crowd in front for his 3rd of the season, and 2nd as a Bulldog, to pull the Dogs within one at 19:37, where the game remained into the locker rooms after 20 minutes.

A scary moment was central to the early part of the middle frame as Noah Nelson was forced to exit the game, though would return for the third, after a cross-check to the back from Jacob Holmes. Holmes was handed a five-minute major on the play and a game misconduct, while Cedricsson Okitundu received a 2, 5 & 10 for instigating in a response to the hit. The Bulldogs ended up with a 3-minute major power-play following the fracas. On the advantage, Jake O'Brien looked to set up Marek Vanacker but Mason Vaccari made yet another outstanding stop to keep the Fronts ahead. The Bulldogs equalizer would come while shorthanded, again in the final minute of the frame. Zakary Lavoie challenged up the right side forcing Jakub Chromiak into neutral ice and Lavoie was able to send Marek Vanacker away on the left-wing side to notch his 25th of the season tying the game 2-2 with a shot under the glove and over the pad of Vaccari at 19:26 to set the start of the final frame on even terms.

Not to be forgotten in the comeback efforts, Matteo Drobac stopped all 10 shots he faced in the final frame, including a mad scramble infront of his goal that ended with the puck in between his pads and a nifty kick save on a left circle attempt from Linus Hemstrom. With their goaltender holding the door shut in the defensive zone, the Bulldogs went to work on the offensive side. At 13:26, Noah Roberts knocked down a clearing attempt at the attacking blueline and settled it into a shooting position. Wristing a shot through the pile of bodies infront of the Fronts goal, Vaccari knocked the puck down but the rebound bounced right to Calvin Crombie who knocked in his 11th of the season to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game 3-2. The lead stood up and was added to at 19:39 when, with the Kingston net empty, Ben Bujold made a pass through his own zone to Tomas Hamara who in turn hit Cole Brown on the left to strike the empty net for his 8th of the year and a 4-2 Bulldogs victory, their 6th in a row.

The Bulldogs return to action tomorrow at home, Sunday, January 28th, at the Brantford Civic Center to wrap up there 3-in-4 weekend against the Mississauga Steelheads with puck drop at 2:00pm.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 27, 2024


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