Bulldogs rediscover that winning feeling against Dragons
LEADING MAN: Josh Stockton scored a hat-trick for the second successive game. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.
BRADFORD BULLDOGS built on posting their first point of the season by enjoying their first win of the 2025-26 NIHL North Two campaign with a 6-4 triumph at home to Deeside Dragons 2.
Having taken title favourites Sutton Sting to a shootout the previous weekend - before being edged out 10-9 - the Bulldogs took to the ice in their next outing full of confidence.
It proved justified, with Josh Stockton leading the way with a second hat-trick in as many weeks, while Aaron Jordan, Kacper Andrukianiec and Kieron Furlong also getting on the scoresheet.
The win was enough to catapult the Bulldogs up to sixth in the standings ahead of this Sunday’s visit to Sheffield Titans.
“After our strong performance against Sutton, we went into this game full of confidence,” said defenceman and assistant captain, Ben Darbyshire.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, as this was a much-improved Deeside team.
“The first period was all about the special teams with our power play producing three goals and our penalty kill keeping Deeside off the board.
UP AND RUNNING: Bulldogs’ defenceman, Ben Darbyshire. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.
“But we had a lapse in concentration and allowed Deeside to fight back in the second period.
“Ultimately, though, we were able to stay strong as a team and see the game out and get that win on the board.”
It was the captain Andrukianiec who got the ball rolling on the power play in front of another healthy crowd at The Pound when he fired home through traffic and past Leo Hyman from just inside the blue line with 7.09 on the clock.
It was another power play strike that saw the Bulldogs double their lead just under four minutes later, Jordan firing home from a similar position.
The man advantage proved crucial again when Stockton was quickest to react and jab the puck home at 18.29 after Jordan’s initial shot cannoned back off the right-hand post.
But the second period saw Deeside deservedly get back on level terms.
James Shaw broke clear down centre ice before beating Jack Mickevicius in the Bulldogs net at 22.19.
Jordan then teed up Stockton with a perfectly-weighted pass to allow the Bulldogs’ forward to beat Hyman from close range to restore the three-goal cushion at 26.54.
But the Dragons then dominated proceedings, Shaw doubling his tally from close range before James Parsons made it a one-goal game from a similar position 98 seconds later at 29.53.
The visitors’ bench then erupted when Charlie Spridgeon broke clear down centre ice and beat Mickevicius to make it 4-4 at 31.31.
But the Bulldogs rallied and were able to produce a response of their own, Connor Medley finding Furlong who was able to drive towards the net and beat Hyman one-on-one to make it 5-4 at 33.55.
Mickevicius continued to be the busier of the two goalies all night - turning away all but four of the 58 shots on his goal by the end - but it was at the other end where the next crucial goal came.
Furlong’s shot from the right boards was only partially saved and it was Stockton who was quickest to react, slapping the puck into the net just 52 seconds into the third period.