Wooster Bulls drop two in tough road matchups against red-hot Buffalo Tempest

The Wooster Bulls weren't able to take down the surging Buffalo Tempest this past weekend.

On Saturday, Dec. 27, and Sunday, Dec. 28, the Bulls travelled to Hyde Park Ice Pavilion in Buffalo, N.Y., to take on the Tempest. Heading into the weekend, the Tempest were sporting a 7-5 record and were one of the top teams in the Eastern Division standings. 

Well, after six more periods of action, that claim remained alive as they advanced to a 9-5 mark on the season. They took down the Bulls, 3-2, in overtime on Saturday and 9-6 on Sunday.

Of the two games, the Saturday one was the closest opportunity for the Bulls to pull off a win.

They started off the game strong, taking a 1-0 lead heading out of the first period of play. Then, in the second, they maintained a consistent defensive presence, shutting out the Tempest and finding another goal to tack on. With a 2-0 lead heading into the third period, they looked poised to take away their third win of the season.

However, as fate would have it, a win wouldn't be in the picture. The Bulls gave up two goals in the third period of play, before dropping another in overtime to fall, 3-2.

Although they did lose, goaltender Jack Hudec was exceptional with 57 saves on 60 shots faced. He's maintained a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign and been one of the most reliable players in between the pipes in the APHL.

After falling on Saturday, the Bulls ramped up the offensive pressure on Sunday in hopes of getting revenge on the Tempest. The teams' shift from defense to offense resulted in them finding the back of the net six times, but that increase in forward movement resulted in nine goals being given up back the other direction for a 9-6 scoreline in favor of the home team.

With the loss, the Bulls drop to 2-7-0-1 on the campaign.

The next battle for the Bulls comes on Saturday, Jan. 3, against the West Michigan Sentinels from Alice Noble Ice Arena. The two sides will clash with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. EST.

They'll then play on Sunday, Jan. 4, against the Sentinels again, with puck drop slated for 1:00 p.m. EST.