Pitbulls Take A Three Point Weekend Following A SO Loss And 8-6 Win In Hull

Bristol Pitbulls v Basingstoke Bison

The Drive Bristol North Pitbulls welcomed the Basingstoke Bison to the Pound on Saturday night for their third clash of the season, and the game delivered end-to-end action from the opening face-off. Both teams pushed the pace early, but it was the Pitbulls who opened the scoring on a powerplay. Tanner Butler fired a shot towards goal, where John Dunbar expertly redirected it past Max Wright to give the home side a 1–0 lead. The advantage didn’t last long. With bodies crowded in front of the net, Brendan Sellan reacted quickest for the Bison, firing through traffic to level the score.

Early in the second period, Bristol regained the lead thanks to a brilliant individual effort from Jake Bricknell, who cut through the defence and squeezed a tight-angle shot through Wright’s five-hole. But the reply came swiftly once again—this time from a Pitbulls mistake. A misplay on the powerplay handed Luke Spadafora a shorthanded breakaway, and he calmly converted to make it 2–2. The goal trading continued late in the period. Adam Harding put the Bison ahead before Bricknell struck again moments later, burying a rebound to send the teams into the final period tied at 3–3.

Dunbar notched his second of the night early in the third, pouncing on a loose puck from a blocked Caly Robertson effort and lifting it into the top corner. The Bison responded yet again through Alex Sampford, who tucked away a rebound on the man advantage to make it 4–4. With the clock winding down, Zack Milton found space to give Basingstoke a 5–4 lead, but the Pitbulls refused to roll over. With under five minutes remaining, Bayley Harewood capitalised on a rebound from a Bricknell shot, slotting the puck home to force overtime.

A tense extra period produced no further goals, sending the match to a shootout. Both goaltenders were outstanding, but in the final round Spadafora scored the decisive goal, securing the win and two points for the visitors.

John Dunbar, with two goals and a strong overall performance, was named the Pitbulls’ Man of the Match.

Hull Seahawks v Bristol Pitbulls

The Drive Bristol North Pitbulls travelled to Hull on Sunday to take on the Seahawks in what turned into a hugely entertaining goal fest between the two sides. Hull opened the scoring on the powerplay when Bobby Chamberlain finished off a slick passing move. The Pitbulls answered quickly with a powerplay of their own, and it was defenceman Tanner Butler who produced a superb end-to-end rush before rifling a shot off the post and in to level the game at 1–1.

The goal ignited the visitors, who went on to score three more before the end of the first period. Jake Bricknell unleashed a pinpoint strike, John Dunbar slipped a quick five-hole effort past the netminder, and Bricknell added another with a fine individual play to give Bristol a commanding lead after twenty minutes.

The second period, however, belonged to Hull. Less than five minutes in, Emil Svec capitalised on an odd-man rush, firing past Tommy Nappier. Moments later, Canadian forward Johnny Corneil brought the Seahawks back within one. The period then descended into back-and-forth chaos: Rhys Smetham restored the Pitbulls’ cushion with a sharp finish, only for Svec and Corneil to both strike again in quick succession, producing a sense of déjà vu for the travelling fans.

The Pitbulls refused to fold. Bricknell completed his hat-trick with another confident finish, and shortly after, Bayley Harewood blasted home to give Bristol a 7–5 lead heading into the second intermission.

The third period finally saw some defensive stability, with the Pitbulls tightening up in front of the ever-reliable Nappier. It took until the final five minutes for Hull to break through, as Lee Bonner squeezed a shot in to make it a one-goal game. With the net empty and an extra attacker on for the Seahawks, Nappier stood tall, and in the closing moments Bricknell found the empty net for his fourth goal of the night—capping off a standout individual performance and sealing an impressive 8–6 road victory for Bristol.

Man of the Match honours went to Bayley Harewood after a fantastic all-round offensive display.