Nick Lardis etched his name in the Brantford Bulldogs record books, scoring his 50th and 51st goals of the season in his 49th game, becoming the first player in the CHL to reach 50 goals this season. His milestone goal also tied Arthur Kaliyev’s single-season franchise record.
The Friday Night Faceoff at the Brantford Civic Centre saw the Bulldogs host the Saginaw Spirit in a matchup featuring elite offensive talent, including OHL scoring leaders Nick Lardis and Michael Misa. Despite a shorthanded lineup missing Adam Jiricek, Calvin Crombie, Dylan Tsherna, Parker Holmes, Josh Avery, and Luca Testa, Brantford capitalized on special teams early.
Goaltender Ryerson Leenders was the difference in the opening period, stopping 18 shots, including a quick kick save on Igor Chernyshov, a post-to-post stop on Zayne Parekh, and a glove save on Michael Misa.
His performance allowed the Bulldogs to settle in, and history was made at 6:51 of the first period when Lardis fired in his 50th goal, assisted by Jake O’Brien and Cole Brown. Lardis became the first Bulldogs player to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games, joining Kaliyev as the only players in franchise history to reach the milestone.
Brantford doubled its lead at 17:55, again on the power play. Lardis set up Jake O’Brien, who quickly shifted the puck to Marek Vanacker, firing his 13th goal of the season past Andrew Oke, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage heading into the first intermission.
In the second period, the Bulldogs increased offensive pressure, but Oke kept Saginaw in the game with key saves, including a blocker stop on Cole Brown and a pair of denials on Lardis from the right circle and slot.
The Spirit responded at 8:08 when Igor Chernyshov sent the puck behind the net to Michael Misa, who found P.J. Forgione in the right circle. Forgione’s third goal of the season slipped past Leenders, cutting the Bulldogs’ lead to 2-1.
Cole Brown restored Brantford’s cushion with his 21st goal of the season, which stood as the game-winner in the third period. The Bulldogs secured the victory, with Lardis adding his second goal of the night, marking a historic performance for the CHL’s top goal scorer.
Misa extended his point streak to 15 games, while Chernyshov and Forgione each contributed a goal for Saginaw.
