Lesson Learned

Sep 15, 2011

BLAINE, MN – The Bismarck Bobcats gave up four unanswered goals and suffered their first loss of the 2011-12 season, falling 5-1 to the Amarillo Bulls Friday at the Combat Hockey NAHL Showcase at the Schwan Super Rink.

“The only thing I can say about that game is: lesson learned,” asserted Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie. “There wasn’t very much urgency and our guys, I hope, have learned that you can’t take nights, periods or plays off—especially against a team as good as Amarillo.”

The Bulls got on the board first with just three seconds left in the first as Joe Kozlak grabbed a faceoff win from TJ Sarcona and popped it through goalie Tommy Burke’s legs for a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

Bobcats defenseman Donald Olivieri tied the game 3:47 into the second on a power play goal that fooled Bulls goaltender from the point. It was Olivieri’s fourth goal in three nights.

A fluky bounce, however, stung the Bobcats 4:11 later as a long clear-out from Bulls blueliner Karl Beckman had an icing call washed out despite the Bobcats winning the race to puck; the puck took a strange hop off the back wall and rolled off Burke’s skate and into the net.

The Bobcats could not recover from the goal, though, as Jude Warner and Brandon Lubin adding late goals in the second as the Bulls seized control with a 4-1 lead.

Following Lubin’s goal, Sedevie lifted Burke for backup goaltender Aaron Nelson. The former all-state player at Century High School looked sharp in his Bobcats debut, stopping 19 of 20 shots faced in 27:39 of ice time.

“Aaron was a definite bright spot tonight,” admitted Sedevie. “It’s safe to say that he’s earned himself a start [Saturday] against Kalamazoo.”

Nelson’s lone blemish came with 13 seconds left in regulation when Sarcona knocked in a third-chance rebound for a power play goal and the final margin of 5-1.

Burke took the loss to fall to 1-1-0 behind 15 saves while Taffe picked up his first win of the season on 19 stops.

The Bobcats will wrap up their Showcase schedule with a 4:00 PM start against the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings at the Schwan Super Rink.

Saturday’s Showcase finale 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 3:30.

Season tickets are now on sale for the 2011-12 season—and going fast! Call the Bobcat Hockey office at (701) 222-3300 or email gobobcathockey@aol.com for more information on reserving your seats for the upcoming season!

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2011 CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS

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