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OHL Brantford Bulldogs

O'Brien Releases the Bears; Chen & Jiricek Score OHL 1sts in 10-1 Triumph

December 15, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. The most wonderful game of the year arrived for the Brantford Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon as the team hosted it's annual Teddy Toss game against the Kingston Frontenacs.

The home crowd didn't have to wait too long for the Teddy Toss goal to occur, coming 6:33 into the opening frame but not without a little controversy. With the Bulldogs on a 5-minute major power-play due to a Quinton Burns hit from behind on Zakary Lavoie, Brantford had a second straight false start to "release the bears". After Adam Jiricek worked the puck into the offensive zone and played it to the right-wing boards, Patrick Thomas zipped it from right to left for Cole Brown whose initial shot was stopped with Jake O'Brien jamming in the rebound through Nolan Lalonde. The celebration began the Teddy Toss, but the officials quickly signaled no goal. The Bulldogs bench challenged and after review the goal was deemed good giving O'Brien his 15th of the season and officially calling on the bears. The hosts extended their lead at 13:14 when Nick Lardis stole the puck in the defensive zone, chipped it around Emil Pieniniemi and raced into the offensive zone on the right side. With a blistering shot, Lardis beat Lalonde blocker side for his 27th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. The Fronts pulled one back on a power-play of their own at 15:41. Tuomas Uronen laid the puck back to the point for Emil Pieniniemi who tossed a shot net front where Jacob Battaglia tipped it over Ryerson Leenders' shoulder to make it 2-1 through 20 minutes.

From the start of the second period, the game tilted entirely to the Bulldogs. Vann Williamson had a bouncing puck give him trouble to the middle of his own zone where Noah Nelson lifted the stick and stole the puck. Shifting from backhand to forehand, Nelson tossed it over a sprawling Lalonde to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead at 6:30 on his 3rd of the year. The lead extended at 13:33, after a Nick Lardis between the legs shot was denied by Lalonde, Cole Brown knocked the puck loose for Patrick Thomas who sent a cross-slot pass for Lardis hammering his 28th of the season, and 2nd of the game, past Lalonde to make it a 4-1 lead. The Bulldogs second period pile on wasn't done there, at 15:51 Lucas Moore dropped the puck at the blueline for Owen Protz who moved it across the zone for a one-timer at the right circle from Aiden O'Donnell. Lalonde stopped the initial shot but the rebound fell to the crease where Daniel Chen whacked it into the open goal for his 1st career goal in the OHL. Before the buzzer could sound at 19:59, Owen Protz broke the puck up the left side in a shorthanded two-on-one with Jake O'Brien, laying it in the wheelhouse for the center who whipped a wrist shot over a splitting Lalonde, crossing the goal-line with 0.4 seconds left in the period on his 2nd of the game & 16th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 6-1 lead through 40 minutes.

The final frame was more of the same with the Bulldogs pouring on the offense even with the Frontenacs switching from Nolan Lalonde to Mason Vaccari between the pipes. Aiden O'Donnell was the first to crack Vaccari at 6:11, after Daniel Chen swept the puck loose, O'Donnell strode down the left-wing and rifled a shot over the short side shoulder for his 4th of the season and a 7-1 Bulldogs lead. Adam Jiricek was next to open his OHL account, after Lucas Moore shifted the puck left for Daniel Chen who found the import defender in the slot, Jiricek turned around back of the net and carried back to the left half boards, hitting the brakes hard Jiricek skated into the left circle and fired a shot through Vaccari for his 1st in the OHL and an 8-1 Bulldogs lead at 9:36. The Czechia product double dipped at 16:11, after an Owen Protz drive carried wide, Aiden O'Donnell swung the puck back to the slot where Jiricek was crashing down from the right point and unleashed a rocket past Vaccari to give the Bulldogs a 9-1 lead. Brantford added one more at 17:47 when Cole Brown off the left-wing, slid the puck back to the blueline for Lucas Moore whose point blast struck a body and fell to the right side for Josh Avery to convert his 4th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 10-1 lead that with 33 saves from Ryerson Leenders, the Bulldogs held to the final buzzer sweeping the week and taking all 6 available points.

The Brantford Bulldogs return to action for their final home game of the 2024 calendar year, hositng the Brampton Steelheads on Wednesday, December 18th with a 7:00pm puck drop.

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