Shepard Earns Third Divisional Honor following Sweep
FRISCO, TX – Allowing just one goal over the course of a two-game weekend sweep, Bismarck Bobcats goalie Hunter Shepard secured the Central Division Star of the Week award Monday for the third time this season.
Shepard stopped 42 of the 43 shots sent his way between Friday and Saturday as the Cats picked up back-to-back wins and regained sole possession of first place in the Central Division.
“The exciting part for us, as a staff, is to see Hunter's numbers improve every week–because they are a total reflection of the hard work and preparation he puts in every day,” lauded Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie. “This weekend he was ready to make the big saves when he had to and was rewarded with tying a team record that has stood for seven years.”
That franchise record, single-season shutouts, now belongs to both Shepard and 2008-09 goalkeeper David Bosner at six.
Joining Shepard on the league’s weekly honor roll is defenseman Patrik Demel, whose two-assist, plus-3 weekend merited an honorable mention for the hardware.
Monday marks the second straight week that a Bobcat has claimed the Central’s top weekly honor—Alex Strand received the award on February 22—and the third instance it has gone to Shepard (January 4, December 14). It is the ninth time in 2015-16 a Bobcat has been the division’s Star of the Week: Shepard thrice, Willie Brown twice and Strand, Demel, Harrison Aide and Nick Alexander once each.
Now Shepard, Demel and the Bobcats turn their attention to a Friday 7:15pm Friday clash at the VFW Sports Center with the archrival Minot Minotauros, who trail the Cats by just two points for the top spot in the division.
Friday’s contest will also be the Cats’ seventh-annual St. Baldrick’s Night, where nine Bobcat players—along with Sedevie—will get their heads shaved to help raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s fight against childhood cancer. The team will also be wearing special edition jerseys for the event that will be auctioned off following the game, with the proceeds also going to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Tickets are now on sale for Friday’s showdown: fans can buy and print tickets online 24 hours a day at BismarckBobcats.com, by clicking “Shop Now” on the team Facebook page or charge-by-phone at 222-3300.
Friday’s iteration of the Battle of Highway 83 will be broadcast live 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—with pregame coverage starting at 6:45pm.
Season tickets are still on sale for the 2015-16 season at a pro-rated price; if you want to beat the rush of over 40,000 fans for this year, now is the time! Call 222-3300 to reserve your seats today.