Bulldogs Junior Review_ Under-18s and Under-16s on home ice

UNDER PRESSURE: Bulldogs’ Under-18 netminder Jacob Mardell fends off another shot on his goal in the 9-3 defeat at home to Whitley Bay. Picture: Adam Lee.

IT was down to the Bulldogs Under-18s and Under-16s to carry the torch for the juniors last weekend as they aimed to get back to winning ways. 

It was tough going on both days, with the Under-16s up first on Saturday when they welcomed Kingston Sharks to The Pound. 

Heavily outshot across the 45 minutes, the 16s dug deep and made life difficult for the visitors, trailing by just a Joshua Beddoes goal at the first break. 

Jacob Mardell stood tall in goal again for his team but three goals in as many minutes during the second period effectively settled the contest. 

Will Durgan doubled the Sharks’ lead at 25.30 before James Hebb and then Matthew Pickup also beat Mardell to leave the hosts with a mountain to climb coming out for the third period. 

Durgan quickly increased the lead with a power play strike at 31.59, Hebb also doubling his tally four minutes later before Beau Reeder completed the scoring for a deserved 7-0 win. 

Thomas Taylor got the Bulldogs’ Spirit of the Game award.

The following day, the Under-18s took to the ice against a Whitley Bay team they had drawn 4-4 against on the opening day of the season. 

Like the 16s the previous day, the Bulldogs were heavily outshot but Whitley came up against a defiant Mardell in net, who faced 32 shots in the first period alone. 

Despite that, the teams went in all square after Dan Johns followed up his own rebound off Orson Groot in the Whitley net to fire home at 19.15 and cancel out Jack Williams’ 14th-minute opener for the visitors.

But Whitley made their zone superiority count in the second, firing five unanswered goals to grab a stranglehold on the game. 

The impressive Oliver Jardine led the way with two second period strikes and was joined on the scoresheet by Ethan Dunn, Lewis Speare and Luke Stoker. 

Charlie Farrow fired a third period double in response for the Bulldogs, but Jardine completed his hat-trick before Dunn and Williams both doubled their personal tallies to ensure a comfortable and deserved 9-3 win for the visitors. 

Defenceman and stand-in captain Josh Guy got the Spirit of the Game award, while Mardell ran him close as he turned away 80 of the 89 shots on his net across the 60 minutes.