Hamilton Bulldogs

Abbotsford, BC - The Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Abbotsford Heat 5-2 at Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre on Saturday night. The 'Dogs now lead their best-of-seven North Division Final series 3-2. Mike Glumac recorded two goals in the win while Andre Benoit had the game-winner.  

Abbotsford opened the scoring at 11:50 of the first period. David Van der Gulik fired a shot on net that was stopped by Hamilton starting goaltender Curtis Sanford. Sanford was unable to control the rebound which Gaelan Patterson grabbed and shot past the netminder.

The Heat took a 2-0 lead 1:02 into the second stanza. While on a power-play, Jason Jaffray and Cam Cunning skated into the Bulldogs' zone on a two-on-one. Jaffray elected to pass the puck across the ice to Cunning, who one-timed a shot past the glove of Sanford.

The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard at 6:55 of the middle frame. Mike Glumac received the puck from Grant Stevenson before dangling the puck past a Heat defender and snapping a shot past the blocker of Abbotsford starting goaltender David Shantz.

Glumac added his second goal of the game at 10:41 of the final frame. Chad Anderson gave the puck to Glumac, who was positioned at the right side boards. Glumac fired a shot towards the net that bounced off the leg of a Heat player before sliding between the legs of Shantz and across the goal line. The 'Dogs took a 3-2 lead at 16:37. Ryan White won a faceoff in the Abbotsford zone, sending the puck to Andre Benoit, who was positioned at the point. Benoit blasted a shot that sailed through traffic and past Shantz. Ryan Russell and David Desharnais added empty net goals in the final minute of the game to seal the win for Hamilton.

The Bulldogs will return to Copps Coliseum for Game 6 of the North Division Final on Monday, May 10^th at 7:30 p.m. The game will be shown on Cable 14. Fans can listen to every 'Dogs playoff 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 Game 6 of the North Division Final 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:
1. ABB - Gaelan Patterson - 1 (David Van der Gulik) - 11:50

2nd Period:
2. ABB - Cam Cunning - 1 (Jason Jaffray, Mikael Backlund) - 1:02 (PP)
3. HAM - Mike Glumac - 6 (Grant Stevenson) - 6:55

3rd Period:
4. HAM - Mike Glumac - 7 (Chad Anderson, Ryan White) - 10:41
5. HAM - Andre Benoit - 3 (Ryan White) - 16:37
6. HAM - Ryan Russell - 4 (Alex Henry) - 19:27 (EN)
7. HAM - David Desharnais - 5 (J.T. Wyman) - 19:59 (EN)

Scoring:
Hamilton: 0-1-4-5
Abbotsford: 1-1-0--2

Shots:
Hamilton: 11-12-6--29
Abbotsford: 11-11-10--32

Goaltending:
Hamilton: Curtis Sanford (32 shots, 30 saves)
Abbotsford: David Shantz (27 shots, 24 saves)

Power Play:
Hamilton: 0-for-4
Abbotsford: 1-for-5

Attendance: 2,899

Three Stars:
1. HAM- Andre Benoit (1 goal, +3, 3 shots)
2. HAM- Mike Glumac (2 goals, +3, 3 shots)
3. ABB- Brett Sutter (-2, 5 shots)

Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Game: Curtis Sanford