Engle Sends Bulldogs to Second Round with Series Winner
OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Engle Sends Bulldogs to Second Round with Series Winner

Published on April 2, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


SUDBURY, ONTARIO. Entering the night with a chance to end their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with the Sudbury Wolves, the Brantford Bulldogs set for Game 4, looking to capitalize on the momentum from Marek Vanacker's overtime winner in Game 3 and advance to the Co nference Semi- Finals for the second straight season.

Opening the frame with pressure on Sudbury netminder Bjorn Bronas, making his OHL playoff debut, the Bulldogs switch of Jett Luchanko with Jake O'Brien & Marek Vanacker and Adam Benak with Caleb Malhotra & Cooper Dennis looked real smart early with all four lines having extended time in the offensive zone but unable to squeeze a puck past Bronas who made several quality saves amongst 10 in the opening period. Against the run of play, it was Sudbury opening the scoring for the first time in the series as Artem Gonchar fired a shot from the right point that Rowan Henderson tipped on the doorstep past Ryerson Leenders for his 1st of the playoffs to give the Wolves the 1-0 lead 10:28 as they attempted to stay alive. Leenders was strong following the goal making a brilliant shoulder stop at his right post diving forward to deny a shortside opportunity and taking away a point-blank Blake Clayton shot from the slot as part of 10 saves of his own in the opening frame. The Bulldogs exited the first period with work to do, facing a 1-0 deficit, trailing for the first time after 20-minutes in the series.

The Bulldogs battled back in the middle frame beginning with a key penalty kill in the early portion of the period that saw Cooper Dennis earn a pair of shorthanded opportunities while Ryerson Leenders made a tremendous split kick save to keep the Bulldogs at the deficit of a single goal. Hard work and persistence led to the equalizer at 12:47 as Gabriel Frasca entered the zone on the left-wing side and dropped the puck for Charlie Paquette who sent it on a cross-ice feed to the right post for Luca Testa to tap in his 3rd of the series equalling the score at 1-1. On a late second period power- play Jake O'Brien tossed the puck to the side of the net where Marek Vanacker batted it on goal and a sprawling Bjorn Bronas and defenseman Luca Blonda had to combine to scramble the puck back under the Wolves netminder to keep the Bulldogs from taking the lead and forcing the game to the second intermission tied 1-1.

The Bulldogs were clinical in the final frame, outshooting the Wolves by a 12-2 margin and not allowing the Wolves a shot for the first near 17-minutes of play. Bjorn Bronas was under siege in the Sudbury goal turning away Adam Benak & Cooper Dennis with great high looks to keep the game on even terms, but the Bulldogs cracked though. At 6:54, Jett Luchanko knocked the puck down on the right half wall and laid it on for Jake O'Brien who made a brilliant spinning back pass for Edison Engle who had slid low in the offensive zone. The Arlington Heights, IL, product danced to the net front and lifted the puck over Bjorn Bronas for a 2-1 lead that the Bulldogs held to the end with a tremendous defensive effort to earn the series sweep over the Sudbury Wolves.

The Brantford Bulldogs will return to action for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals at TD Civic Centre with scheduling & opponent to be announced.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 2, 2026


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