Bullfrogs Win First Game of Series : Roller hockey finals: Anaheim defeats Oakland, 10-7. McCaughey has three goals and an assist.

ANAHEIM —  Although the Bullfrogs defeated the Oakland Skates, 10-7, in Game 1 of the Roller Hockey International championship series Friday night, Bullfrog Coach Chris McSorley wasn’t happy the score was that close.

Brad McCaughey had three goals and an assist for the Bullfrogs, who outshot Oakland, 55-31, but the Bullfrogs needed four fourth-quarter goals to secure the victory before 7,837 at Anaheim Arena.

“We outplayed Oakland in every facet of the game,” McSorley said. “It’s a disgrace to see the officiating place a team in a game in which it didn’t belong.”

McSorley complained about consecutive penalties called on the Bullfrogs in the third quarter while his team led, 6-2.

Marc Lyons and Derek Booth drew penalties for interference and roughing in a 36-second span, and Oakland cashed in both penalties with power-play goals.

Then Bullfrog Joe Cook was whistled for high sticking with 4 minutes 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter, and Doug Lawrence, who had three goals and two assists, scored a power-play goal off a rebound to cut the Bullfrog lead to 6-5.

Joe Cook led the Bullfrogs’ response, helping them score four goals in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter.

Cook scored off a feed from McCaughey and Lyons, who had three assists, to make it 7-5 with 9:54 remaining. With 8:12 remaining, Cook nonchalantly flipped the puck toward the net, but McCaughey dived and tipped the puck past goalie Brian Flatt for an 8-5 lead.

Booth scored off a feed from Cook, then McCaughey got his hat trick, scoring 27 seconds later with 6:02 remaining off an assist from Savo Mitrovic, to make it 10-6.

Mitrovic and Kevin Kerr each had two assists and Victor Gervais had a goal and two assists for the Bullfrogs.

Goalie Rob Laurie (9-0) had 24 saves.

Brian Shantz had two goals and two assists and Sylvain Naud had three assists for Oakland.

The Bullfrogs took a 5-1 lead at halftime by scoring three goals during a 3-minute 24-second span.

Barry Potomski scored his second goal of the half to give the Bullfrogs a 4-1 lead with 3:55 remaining in the half, and 27 seconds later, Bob McKillop knocked in a rebound of a Darren Perkins shot for a power-play goal and a 5-1 Bullfrog lead.

The Bullfrogs did a good job of stifling the Skates’ offense, limiting Oakland to 13 shots in the first half.

Oakland’s only goal in the half came after Booth gave up the puck in front of the Bullfrog net and Shantz easily beat Laurie.

Notes

The series, which concludes Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., was shortened from a best-of-three format. Game 2 was originally scheduled for Sunday at Oakland with Game 3 in Anaheim Tuesday. But Skates officials could not secure an arena in time. . . . Mike Butters, the Bullfrogs’ top enforcer and leader in penalty minutes, sat out for the second consecutive game.