Monday Roundup: Giesler Named Second Star
Last Week:
Thursday, January 15: Bobcats 5, Minotauros 2
Friday, January 16: Blizzard 6, Bobcats 2
Saturday, January 17: Blizzard 4, Bobcats 3
This Week:
Saturday, January 24: Bobcats vs. Blizzard, VFW Sports Center, 7:15pm
Giesler Nets Divisional Honor amid Hot Streak
FRISCO, TX – On a career-best regular season scoring run comprising 11 points in his last seven games, Bobcats co-captain Evan Giesler found his way onto the scoresheet five times (3g, 2a) over the past weekend en route to securing Central Division Second Star of the Week.
The third-year forward scored twice in the Bobcats’ 5-2 win Thursday at Minot before adding a goal and a pair of assists the next two nights in a home-and-home series with Brookings.
With 15 points since December 20, Giesler has surged into the team’s scoring lead and now sits tied for third in the Central for points with 39, just four behind Minot rookie phenom Blake Lizotte.
Giesler was not the only Bobcat with a five-point weekend; Bismarck High product Jared Spooner contributed five assists on the weekend to become the Cats’ third-leading scorer two-thirds of the way through his first junior season.
Spooner, also on a seven-game point streak, earned honorable mention for the divisional awards for his five-point weekend.
Repensky’s First Headlines Alumni Outburst
Sixteen former Bobcats played a role in their college teams’ fortunes over the past week, with a few more making headlines in the pros.
Reigning NAHL Defenseman of the Year Nate Repensky (2012-14) tallied his first collegiate goal and added a game-winning assist for Yale in a weekend sweep of ECAC rival Brown to vault the Bulldogs into a fifth-place tie in the conference.
2010-12 Bobcat teammates Castan Sommer (Holy Cross) and John Furgele (New Hampshire) joined Repensky with multi-point weekends; each recorded a goal and an assist in conference play. Four other members of the 2010-11 Central Division championship squad also picked up collegiate points: Blake Schammel (Gustavus, 1g, 1a); Don Olivieri (Nazareth, 1g, 1a); Danny Ray (UW-Stout, 1g); and Tyler Richter (St. Thomas, 1a).
A trio of alums also gained assists to continue to lead their teams: Matt Pohlkamp (Bowling Green) and Bryce Schmitt (Lake Superior State) remained tops on their teams in points, while Dan Weissenhofer maintained a tie for the top-scoring mark among defensemen at Air Force.
Goalies Ryan Massa (2009-10, Nebraska-Omaha) and Tommy Burke (2010-12, Bowling Green) each picked up wins in their only appearances on the weekend.
Other alumni point-getters included: Joe Giordano (Connecticut College, 2a); Mike Dockry (St. Thomas; 2a); Rory Vesel (Augsburg, 1a); and George Malliaras (St. Norbert; 1a).
In the pros, 2009-11 goalie Ryan Faragher had a big week for the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies with a 3-0-1-1 mark in five appearances to help the Grizzlies into fifth place in the Western Conference. 2005-06 NAHL Rookie of the Year Eric Kattelus put up a goal and three assists to help the Kalamazoo Wings extend their winning streak to six games.
2007-09 blueliner Tony Turgeon was recalled to the American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage by the Florida Panthers, the Rampage’s NHL Parent Club.
Bobcats Earn Three Spots at Top Prospects
Sitting in third place at the 2015 standings freeze, the Cats locked in three roster spots for Team Central at the 2015 installment of the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament.
The tournament will be hosted at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube—home of the U.S. National Team Development Program—February 23-24.
Which Bobcats will be selected to the Top Prospects Tournament will be announced at a later date.
Coming Up
Following a six-day break, the Bobcats will open a three-game home stand with a 7:15pm Saturday tilt against the Brookings Blizzard.
Tickets are now on sale for Saturday’s home contest: fans can buy and print tickets 24 hours a day at BismarckBobcats.com or charge by phone at 222-3300.
Live coverage of the rematch from last weekend’s home-and-home will begin at 6:45pm locally on SuperTalk 1270, KLXX-AM, the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, and worldwide online at NAHL.FASTHockey.com, the official web television partner of the North American Hockey League.
Though the 2014-15 season is now past the half-way mark, there is still time to order season tickets for the year; fans who want to lock in their seats for the entire campaign should call the Bobcat office at 222-3300 today!
