Chris Alguire and the Antigonish Junior Bulldogs will host the Strait Pirates Sunday at the Antigonish Arena. Game time is 7:30 p.m. (Casket file photo)

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The Antigonish Bulldogs rolled to a 6-1 win over the Pictou Scotians Jan. 18 at the Antigonish Arena.
“The coaches were pleased overall with the effort,” co-coach John James Barter commented.
“We had a good effort Sunday night against Windsor and the boys continued that against Pictou. The boys are starting to gel together and in the dressing room before the game you could sense they were ready to play.
The Dogs put three goals on the scoreboard in the opening period.
Steven MacGillivray, who returned to the line-up after being sidelined with strep throat, scored at 8:34 on a set-up by Colby VanOirschot and Peter Topshee.
“We’re very pleased to have him back in the line-up,” Barter said of MacGillivray.
“He really brings a work ethic and he’s one of the leaders on the team.”
Tim MacDougall increased the lead to 2-0 at 9:07 with VanOirschot getting the assist and MacGillivray hit the scoresheet once again with Topshee and MacDougall assisting on the marker.
All three markers were even-strength goals.
“We put Topshee on the line with MacGillivray and MacDougall for the game and they clicked well—they really fed off one another,” the coach commented.
Travis Locey fired the only goal of the middle frame at 15:44 with team captain David McCarthy picking up an assist.
“Travis went to the net hard and scored on his second effort,” Barter said.
“He jumped on a loose puck and tucked it in the top corner.”
McCarthy opened the scoring in the third on a set-up by Will Bursey and Fraser White.
Seamus Boyle concluded the scoring for the Dogs with his goal at 6:55. Topshee and MacGillivray earned assists on the marker.
“McCarthy had a real good game,” Barter said.
“He was skating very well and created some really good scoring chances. He came up big for us. We had some pretty good balance in the scoring, which was great to see.”
White, Locey and McCarthy formed a unit for the game and Barter was impressed with the way the trio moved the puck.
The third period was a penalty-filled affair with each club assessed four fighting majors. Banished from the contest for the Dogs were Wade Bordian, Bursey, Chris Alguire and Locey, while Barett Marshall, Paul Fraser, Luc Lochead and Nick Roddick merited early exits for the Scotians.
“The score was lopsided and things got a little chippy,” Barter said.
“There were a few fights and I must say Bordian, Bursey, Alguire and Locey really stuck up for their teammates and handled themselves well. You also have to give Pictou credit. They’ve been struggling and having a tough year but they’re sticking together.”
Kyle Williamson turned aside 43 shots to gain the win between the pipes, while Ben Goss was tested 46 times by the Bulldogs. Ryan Walters spoiled the shutout bid by Williamson, scoring at 15:58 of the third period.
“Kyle played well,” Barter said.
“He was right on all night.”
The Dogs were minus Justin Chiasson, Dan Ryan and John Wagstaff due to injuries.
Barter said Spencer Cameron, who has yet to skate in a game for the Dogs this year due to a hip injury, has been cleared to resume skating.
The Bulldogs fell to 14-9-0-1 on the season with a 4-3 shoot-out loss Saturday night against the host Eastern Shore Mariners.
“It was a good effort by the boys,” Barter commented.
“We worked hard, fore-checked well and our defense played well.
The Dogs sit in second place in the Sid Rowe division with 31 points, one behind the Strait Pirates and five in front of the Glace Bay Miners.
Drew Perkins scored for the Mariners at 3:06 of the opening period and Adrian Tansley increased the lead to 2-0 with his goal less than two minutes later. Both were even-strength markers.
The Dogs opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the middle frame with Locey the goal scorer on a set-up from White and Graeme Lodge.
White notched the equalizer at 8:44 with Bursey and Locey picking up the assists. MacGillivray gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 advantage after 40 minutes of action with his goal midway through the period. Bursey and Topshee assisted on the goal.
Eastern Shore sent the game into overtime with a goal by Tyler Somers with just 14 seconds left in regulation time.
“The line of McCarthy, Locey and White seems to be very good both offensively and defensively,” Barter said.
Justin Chiasson and MacGillivray were successful on their shoot-out attempts, while McCarthy and Bobby Hamer were unable to capitalize on their chances.
The Dogs will face-off against the Cumberland County Blues Friday night on the road and will return to the Antigonish Arena Sunday to take on rival Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates.
“It’s our first game of the season there,” Barter said of the Cumberland game.
“We’re expecting a hard-fought game, so the guys are going to have to play a full game. We want to make a run at the Pirates for first place, so this is a very important game.”
The Dogs are 0-4 against the Pirates, two losses coming in overtime.
“If the fans want to watch the Juniors, this is the game to come to,” Barter said.
“We have two games left with them this year and I expect this to be like a playoff game.”