The Blackfalds Bulldogs snapped a five-game losing streak Sunday in Camrose when they tamed the Kodiaks 6-4.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring 8:42 into the second period when Kai Matthew sent a rocket upstairs past Spencer Welke for his second of the campaign. Blackfalds took a 2-0 advantage 9:21 into the second after Spencer Bell banked home his seventh of the season. The Bulldogs went up 3-0 when Adam Heindel threaded the needle from a precarious angle at the 11:57 mark.
Shortly after the Heindel goal, the game was paused for about 40 minutes after Spencer Bell hammered a Camrose player through the glass at the penalty box. Once the game resumed, Owen Dean got the Kodiaks on the board 16:38 into the second when he solved Lucas Massie, who made 34 saves in the win. The Bulldogs took a 4-1 lead 17:48 into the middle period when Tristan Zarsky walked down the right side and beat Welke for his first AJHL goal.
The Kodiaks did not fold up their tent in the third period despite trailing by three goals. Ryan Sullivan slid the puck past Massie at the 8:58 mark of the frame, which made it a 4-2 contest. Michael Horon added two more goals after that, tying the game at four at the 14:51 mark of the third.
The Bulldogs pulled ahead 5-4 with just 45 seconds remaining on the power play when Juliano Santalucia found Brett Meerman, who made no mistake for his 13th of the campaign. Meerman added an empty-netter with just 12 seconds remaining to seal the victory for Blackfalds.
With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 14-22-1 on the season, which still has them in sixth place in the AJHL South.
The Bulldogs will search for their second straight win Jan. 7 in Sherwood Park when they meet the Crusaders for the first time this season. You can catch the action on the Bulldogs Radio Network with Braden Malsbury.
Blackfalds is back at home Jan. 8 when they host the Calgary Canucks at the Eagle Builders Centre.