Billings sweeps Ice Dawgs in pair of chippy games

The Glasgow Ice Dawgs hockey team dropped both of its games over the weekend but hung with the Billings Bulls JV squad, losing 8-4 and 6-2.

On Saturday, the Dawgs kept it close in the early going, scoring first on the more experienced Bulls. Speedy captain Jonathan Braaten scored on the break with a wrister on an assist from Patrick DeCourdes just three minutes into the game. The goal was just the first on a huge weekend for Braaten, who held the Dawgs in the game with three points on the night.

The goal kept the Dawgs in the lead for a few minutes, but the quick strike Bulls took advantage of the young Dawgs backline and scored three times in nine minutes before the end of the period. Billings winger Sam Anderson was the catalyst in the Bulls' surge, assisting on the first goal and scoring the second while getting the visiting team out on the break. The fast pace, despite having a short bench, seemed to catch the Dawgs of guard and put the home team in a hole midway through the game.

Anderson would score yet another goal before the Dawgs could answer with Braaten's second goal of the night, this one unassisted.

Unfortunately for Glasgow, the Bulls kept finding ways to answer as Anderson completed his hat trick, scoring the eventual game-winner just four minutes later, bringing the score to 5-2.

Billings would score two more goals before the Dawgs were able to mount a comeback. In the third, Sawyer Hillman scored on a Glasgow power play, with an assist from Kevin Hill to move the score to 7-3 with 6:42 to play. Then on a 3-on-1 break, Braaten nearly completed the hat trick but left a shot off the pads of the Billings goaltender who couldn't corral the rebound. After another stop on Braden Barstad, Kyle Shulz found the back of the net, putting some pressure on the Bulls.

Yet, with the clock winding down and an empty net, Anderson scored his fourth goal of the night to finish the Dawgs' run and close the game 8-4.
On Sunday, the scoring wasn't as high but the emotions were as the game got chippy.

Braaten started off the scoring again with an unassisted score early in the first period. Anderson, still hot from the night before, scored twice before the first period ended putting the Bulls in the lead 2-1.

Then the game got unruly. After pushing and shoving the night before, the teams turned hostile towards each other and committed nearly as many penalties as shot attempts in the second period.

The Dawgs were called for five roughing penalties and a high stick in the period. The Bulls had more of a bouquet of offenses with four different skaters getting called for a trip, interference, a slash and a crosscheck. Marcus Svingen, Coby Greenhagen and Kori Meiers were each were called for at least three penalties in the game. Anderson was the only skater for the Bulls called for three penalties.

Despite all of the tie with an extra man, the Bulls only scored once in the second period, on a power play in the first minute. The Dawgs answered with a goal of their own at full strength before the Bulls  joined in on the penalty parade.

Unfortunately, though the Dawgs had more time on the power play in the third, they couldn't convert at the same rate as Billings. In their four power play opportunities in the third, the Bulls scored on three, finishing the game with a 6-2 victory.

The Dawgs don't have another game until they host Miles City in a double-header on Dec. 5 at Valley Event Center.