Syracuse, NY - Hamilton Bulldogs goaltender Robert Mayer came within minutes of earning his first AHL shutout in tonight's 4-1 victory against the Syracuse Crunch.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring early, getting on the board at 6:14 into the game. Philip DeSimone converted on Gabriel Dumont's tape-to-tape pass, defeating Syracuse goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers in the top right corner. This was DeSimone's team-leading sixth goal of the season. Five minutes later, Dany Masse roofed a loose puck following linemate Aaron Palushaj's shot from the slot, giving the ‘Dogs a 2-0 lead to end the first period.
Syracuse would start the second period on the power play as Palushaj was called for roughing with 18:54 left in the first period. But Palushaj redeemed himself seconds after his penalty ended, pushing the puck past former Bulldog Drouin-Deslauriers for a breakaway goal. Hamilton's 3-0 lead would stand to end the second, though Syracuse led 28-21 in shots after 40 minutes.
Midway through the third period, Gabriel Dumont put the Bulldogs up 4-0 after deflecting Frederic St-Denis' point shot. Crunch fans chose this moment to toss their stuffed toys onto the ice in Syracuse's annual Tired Teddy Toss event. Syracuse's hard work finally translated into a goal when Dan Sexton broke Mayer's shutout bid with 2:03 left in the game, making the final score 4-1 for Hamilton. The final tally on the shotclock favoured Syracuse, 46-29.
The Bulldogs' next game takes place TOMORROW, Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at 3 p.m. at Copps Coliseum against the Rochester Americans. Single game tickets for the 2011-2012 season (including the January 21st outdoor game) are available at the Copps Coliseum Box Office, any Ticketmaster Outlet, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or through charge-by-phone at 1-855-872-5000.
All Hamilton Bulldogs games can be heard live on AM 820 CHAM or on www.hamiltonbulldogs.com, or seen live on www.ahllive.com beginning with the Pioneer Pre-Game Show 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
Visit the official website of the Hamilton Bulldogs at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com
Visit the official website of the 2012 Molson AHL Outdoor Classic at www.outdoorclassic.ca
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Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
1. HAM - Philip DeSimone - 6 - (Gabriel Dumont) - 6:14
2. HAM - Dany Masse - 5 - (Aaron Palushaj, Brian Willsie) - 11:14
2nd Period:
3. HAM - Aaron Palushaj - 3 - 1:01
3rd period:
4. HAM - Gabriel Dumont - 3 - (Frederic St-Denis, Joe Callahan) - 12:47 (PP)
5. SYR - Dan Sexton - 5 - (Nick Bonino, Patrick Maroon) - 17:57
Scoring:
Hamilton: 2-1-1 - 4
Syracuse: 0-0-1 - 1
Shots:
Hamilton: 9-12-8 - 29
Syracuse: 9-19-18 - 46
Goaltending:
Hamilton: Robert Mayer (46 shots, 45 saves)
Syracuse: Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (29 shots, 25 saves)
Power Play:
Hamilton: 1-for-3
Syracuse: 0-for-4
Attendance: 5,429
Three Stars:
1. HAM - Robert Mayer (46 shots, 45 saves)
2. HAM - Aaron Palushaj (1 goal, 1 assist, 5 shots)
3. HAM - Gabriel Dumont (1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots)
Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Game: Robert Mayer
