Hamilton, Ontario - The Hamilton Bulldogs won their 2009-2010 home opener 3-0 as they defeated the Rockford IceHogs in front of 6,187 fans at Copps Coliseum. All three goals came in the third period for the 'Dogs while Curtis Sanford earned the shutout. The win was the first-career AHL win for Hamilton Bulldogs Head Coach Guy Boucher.
Both Hamilton starting goaltender Curtis Sanford and Rockford starting goaltender Corey Crawford denied all shooters they faced through the first two periods.
Hamilton opened the game's scoring at 9:14 of the third period. While on a power play, J.T. Wyman fired a shot that was blocked in front of the net. Ryan White grabbed the loose puck at the left side of the net before firing the puck into the back of the net. Tom Pyatt gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead at 9:45 of the third period. Pyatt raced down the right side boards before snapping a shot that sailed over the glove of Crawford and into the top corner of the net. The 'Dogs sealed their win with their third goal of the night at 15:30 of the final period. White stripped the puck from a Rockford defender before dishing a pass to Andrew Conboy. Conboy fired the puck past Crawford and into the corner of the net.
The Bulldogs travel to Peoria to battle the Rivermen at 8:00 p.m. EST on Friday, October 16th. Fans can listen to every 'Dogs game on the flagship station of the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Network, TALK 820. Fans can also listen or watch at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com by clicking on the 'AHL Live' or 'TALK 820' icons on the Bulldogs website.
Tickets for all Hamilton Bulldogs home games (with the exception of the November 8th and February 21st games at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec) are available at the Copps Coliseum Box Office, any Ticketmaster Outlet, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or through charge-by-phone at 905-527-7666. For more information on 'Dogs season tickets, flex packs, mini packs and group tickets call 905-529-8500 or visit www.hamiltonbulldogs.com.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
No Scoring
2nd Period:
No Scoring
3rd Period:
1. HAM - Ryan White - 1 (J.T. Wyman, Marc-Andre Bergeron) - 9:14 (PP)
2. HAM - Tom Pyatt - 1 (Unassisted) - 9:45
3. HAM - Andrew Conboy - 1 (Ryan White, Marc-Andre Bergeron) - 15:30
Scoring:
Hamilton: 0-0-3--3
Rockford: 0-0-0-0-0
Shots:
Hamilton: 12-16-13-41
Rockford: 18-9-11-38
Goaltending:
Hamilton: Curtis Sanford (38 shots, 38 saves)
Rockford: Corey Crawford (41 shots, 38 saves)
Power Play:
Hamilton: 1-for-6
Rockford: 0-for-6
Three Stars:
1. HAM - Curtis Sanford (38 shots, 38 saves)
2. HAM - Ryan White (1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 2 shots)
3. HAM- Ben Maxwell (5 shots)
Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Game: J.T. Wyman
