ABERDEEN, SD – The Bismarck Bobcats played in their second consecutive home opener Saturday; this time playing the role of visitor as the Aberdeen Wings played their first ever home game at Odde Arena. The Cats played the role of bad guest, spoiling the Wings’ party with a 5-3 win.
Aberdeen opened the scoring 12:09 into the first when Brandon Platt was awarded a penalty shot on a Dan Kovar hooking penalty in transition, which Platt converted low glove on Bobcat netminder Ryan Faragher to install the Wings’ to a 1-0 lead.
That lead would prove to be not only short-lived, but also the last lead the Wings would enjoy Saturday—Bobcat veteran Emerson Auvenshine tied the score 2:21 after Platt’s penalty shot, one-timing home a Frankie DeAugustine centering feed to force a 1-1 tie.
Just over two minutes after Auvenshine’s equalizer the Cats struck again, this time on the short-hand as George Malliaras bounced a transition shot off Wings goalie Frederick Leisner and into the Aberdeen net for a 2-1 Bobcat lead with 3:12 to go in the frame.
Aberdeen battled back to tie the game on the same power play that Malliaras had struck for the shorty when Cody Marooney deflected a point shot from Ryan Wagner past Faragher to send the game to the first intermission tied at two.
The lone goal of the second period came on a Bobcat power play when Charlie Mosey found a shooting lane from the half-wall of the Wings and beamed a low shot under Leisner’s glove for a 3-2 Bobcat lead.
Trevor Landrgraf tacked on some insurance for the visitors in the third, banging home a Dan Zawacki transition rebound with 8:07 left in regulation to make it 4-2 Bobcats.
Landgraf’s goal turned out to be huge, as just 2:19 later the Wings got a one-time strike from Cody Ward to pull the home side to within one of the defending champs at 4-3.
Matt Gates iced the game for the Bobcats, however, striking for a short-handed empty net goal with 11 seconds left for the final 5-3 margin.
Faragher made 19 saves to improve to 2-2-1 on the season while Leisner stopped 28 Bobcat shots but dropped to 0-3-0 on the young 2010-11 campaign.
The Bobcats continue regular season action Friday when they welcome the Wings to the VFW Sports Center for a 7:15 PM tilt.
The contest will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide at http://nahl.fasthockey.com/. Pre-game coverage will begin at 6:45 PM CT.
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2010-11 season! Call the Bobcat Hockey office at (701) 222-3300 or email gobobcathockey@aol.com for more information on reserving your seats for the entire season as the Bobcats look to defend the Robertson Cup!
BOBCAT HOCKEY
2010 ROBERTSON CUP CHAMPIONS