Bobcats Hold off Monsters for Road Sweep
FRESNO, CA – The Bismarck Bobcats struck three times in the second period and held on for a 3-2 win Saturday over the Fresno Monsters at Selland Arena, sweeping the two-game road series from the Monsters.
“That’s four big points on the road,” assessed Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, “and to be able to come into a barn where they draw so well and get a couple wins is a nice way to start this road trip.”
Picking up where they left off on Friday, both sides cranked up the defense in the first period as goalies Aaron Nelson and Mac Haight posted a combined 15 saves for the Bobcats and Monsters, respectively, as the opening frame ended in a scoreless tie.
The Bobcats caught a stroke of good luck 8:37 into the second when a Shane Omdahl shot rocketed off Haight and to the back glass but careened off a stanchion straight back toward the front of the net, where Adam Knochenmus batted it out of mid-air and in for a 1-0 Bobcat lead.
“We’ve been working hard out there and it was nice that one of those bounces went our way,” explained Knochenmus, who finished the weekend with two goals. “The coaches always tell us that you create our own puck luck and that’s how it went on the first goal.”
Fresno pulled even exactly three minutes later, receiving some good fortune of their own when Trevor Husch spun a bad-angle shot across the Bobcat goal line that bounced off of Nelson and in to make it 1-1.
Husch’s equalizer seemed to spur the Bobcats on, as the visitors dominated the ensuing minute of play, culminating in Mike Dockry taking a short entry pass from Kevin Becker for a short breakaway that the second-year forward converted with a shot through Haight’s legs for a 2-1 Bobcat lead just 1:06 after the even-up goal.
With 1:15 to go in the frame, Omdahl put an exclamation mark on the Cats’ second-period surge on the rush, roping a one-timer from Knochenmus into the top corner of the net to push the lead out to 3-1 after two.
Jordan Haskell pulled the Monsters within one just 4:33 into the third, popping a one-timer of his own through Nelson’s legs to halve the lead at 3-2, but the home side would not get any closer as the Cats held Fresno to just six shots in the third period to hold on for a 3-2 victory.
Nelson moved to 3-0-0 on the year on 17 saves while 21 stops weren’t enough for Haight to avoid dropping to to 4-5-1 in 2012-13.
The Bobcats’ longest road trip of the year continues Friday at 9:05 PM CST as they begin a two-game set at Town Toyota Center against the West Division-leading Wenatchee Wild.
Friday’s series opener will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide on the official internet television partner of the NAHL, FASTHockey, at http://nahl.fasthockey.com. Pregame coverage gets under way at 8:35.
Season tickets for the 2012-13 season are now on sale—and going fast! Call the Bobcat Hockey office today at (701) 222-3300 to reserve your seats for another great season of Championship Entertainment.