Aberdeen Rally Topples Bobcats
ABERDEEN, SD – A career-high 44 saves by Aaron Nelson were not enough as the Bismarck Bobcats saw a third period lead slip away as the Aberdeen Wings poured in three unanswered goals to top the Cats 3-1 Friday at the Odde Ice Center.
Posted to a 1-0 lead after two periods of play, the Bobcats’ edge evaporated on a 5-on-3 penalty kill early in the third period as blueliner Jake Horton threaded a low snap shot through traffic past a screened-out Nelson to even the game at one 5:10 into the final frame.
Not long after the Cats’ seventh power play of the night, the Wings gained their first lead Friday on the rush as Peter Krieger collected a Joe Sullivan rebound off Nelson’s pads and banged it home for a 2-1 score in favor of the home side with 6:38 to go in the contest.
The Bobcats attempted to rally after the goal but were stymied by strong neutral zone trapping from the Wings.
With Nelson pulled in favor of an extra attacker late, Aberdeen put the finishing touches on the game with 34 seconds left as Wings forward Jonathan Grebosky arced a rolling shot from 100 feet away into the empty net.
Mike Dockry put the Bobcats ahead at the game’s halfway mark, grabbing a back door feed on the power play from Levi Blom and blazing a top-shelf wrister past Wings netminder Marcus Zelzer for his seventh goal of the year and a 1-0 lead for the Cats.
Unfortunately for the visitors, that would prove to be their only offense of the night.
Nelson suffered the loss despite his best save total in two seasons. In the second period alone, the Bismarck native made 24 stops.
Zelzer needed just 26 saves for his sixth win of the year.
Aberdeen pulled to within one point of the Bobcats in the Titan Machinery Dakota Cup standings with the win; the Cats lead is down to 4-3.
The two sides will reconvene for a Saturday rematch at 7:15 PM at Odde Ice Center.
Saturday’s grudge match 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 6:45 PM.
Pro-rated 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.