Monday Roundup: Bitsakis Lands Third Weekly Award
Last Week:
Friday, February 13: Wings 3, Bobcats 2
Saturday, February 14: Bobcats 1, Minotauros 0 (SO)
This Week:
Friday, February 20: Bobcats at Blizzard, Larson Ice Center, 7:15pm
Saturday, February 21: Bobcats at Wings, Odde Ice Center, 7:15pm
Three for Three
FRISCO, TX – Bismarck Bobcat goalie Alex Bitsakis only saw one game this weekend, but made it count: accruing 43 saves in regulation and overtime and making three of four stops in a shootout to secure his third shutout of the season and–as was announced Monday–secure his third NAHL Central Division Star of the Week award.
“Every point is so important at this time of year and we knew we’d need excellent goaltending if we wanted two in Minot,” commented Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie. “Alex responded with one of his best efforts of the year against the top-rated offense in the Central Division.”
The Montreal, Quebec, native also secured the division’s top weekly honor on October 20 and November 10.
Co-captain Cullen Willox picked up honorable mention for the week, after accounting for both of the Bobcats’ regulation goals on the weekend and adding a tally in Saturday’s shootout at Minot.
Bobcat Goalie Alums Rule the Weekend
Though 22 former Bobcats took advantage of a particularly high-scoring collegiate weekend, it was the goalie alums who made the biggest waves.
2009-11 goalie Ryan Faragher headlined the big week for Bobcat goalies as the Anaheim Ducks reassigned him to the the Norfolk Admirals.
It is already Faragher’s third AHL stint with the Admirals, with one appearance in each of his previous stays in Virginia.
At the college level, goalie John McLean (2008-09) became the second Cats alum in three weeks to secure MIAC Player of the Week honors as the 6-foot-9 netminder made 66 saves for Gustavus Adolphus as the Gusties swept first-place St. Thomas on the weekend.
2010-12 keeper Tommy Burke came up huge Friday for eighth-ranked Bowling Green, turning away 43 of 44 shots sent his way to propel the Falcons to a 4-1 victory over Ferris State.
As for NCAA skaters, 2012-13 Bobcat forward Corbin Chapman had the biggest weekend: posting three goals and two assists in two games for Augsburg.
Close behind was Chapman’s 2012-13 teammate, Bob Kinne, who had two goals and two assists for St. Mary’s.
As #14 Yale wrapped up a four-point weekend in ECAC play, reigning NAHL Defenseman of the Year Nate Repensky (2012-14) paced the Bulldogs with a three-assist game Saturday in a 4-1 win over RPI.
Seven other former Cats submitted multi-point collegiate weekends: Frankie DeAugustine (UMass-Boston, 2g, 1a); Charlie Aus (Concordia, 1g, 2a); Matt Pohlkamp (Bowling Green, 1g, 1a); Huba Sekesi (St. John’s, 1g, 1a); Adam Knochenmus (UW-Eau Claire, 1g, 1a); Patrick Moore (UW-Eau Claire, 1g, 1a); and Tyler Dunagan (St. John’s, 2a).
Other Bobcat alums to find their way onto an NCAA scoresheet included: Sam Rendle (Bemidji State, 1g); Don Olivieri (Nazareth, 1g); Sam Dougherty (St. Norbert, 1g); Ryan Jacobson (Brown, 1a); Blake Hietala (Michigan Tech, 1a); Alex Barron (Quinnipiac, 1a); Alex Ach (St. John’s. 1a); Blake Schammel (Gustavus, 1a); Brett Bower (St. Norbert, 1a); George Malliaras (St. Norbert, 1a); Mike Dockry (St. Thomas, 1a); Danny Ray (UW-Stout, 1a).
In the pros, Eric Kattelus continued his hot ECHL play, getting two assists for the Kalamazoo Wings in a two-game split at third-place Florida.
Coming Up
The Bobcats will make their last regular season trip to South Dakota this weekend with a Friday showdown in Brookings before heading north to Aberdeen to face off with the Wings Saturday.
Live coverage of Friday’s weekend opener 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!