The Blackfalds Bulldogs are in for a fight to get back into the series following a 6-4 loss on Saturday night.
With the setback at Sherwood Park Arena, the Bulldogs now trail the Crusaders 2-0 in the BCHL’s Alberta Division Semi-finals.
The seven-game series now turns to Blackfalds for Games 3 and 4 at the Eagle Builders Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
In Game 2 the Bulldogs got on the board first six minutes into the opening period scored by Aaron Brown.
The Crusaders answered back with back-to-back goals later in the period notched by Connor Gengle and Hunter Price to take a 2-1 lead.
The Bulldogs tied the game with 1:09 left in the first off the stick of Dakota MacIntosh off the pass from Jayden Joly.
Sherwood Park reclaimed their lead 2:10 into the second period from Nick Wellenreiter but Bulldogs Ryan Shaw found the equalizer on the powerplay over four minutes later.
The rest of the period was owned by the Crusaders who scored two straight from Kale Dach at the midway point and Ethan Mercer with 25 seconds left for his third of the playoffs.
The Crusaders led 5-3 heading into the third period but the Bulldogs didn’t give up.
Bulldogs Jayden Joly found MacIntosh again just 1:24 into the period to cut into the lead but they were unable to tie it.
Instead, Crusaders forward Ryder Ringor scored an empty net goal to put the game out of reach.
The Bulldogs struggled on the powerplay scoring just one goal on five opportunities but held the Crusaders to just one tally on the penalty kill.