Bad Luck Besets Bobcats in Home Shutout
BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Bobcats had their chances to come back but could not avoid a run of misfortune as the Fairbanks Ice Dogs pulled away for a 2-0 blanking of the Cats Friday at the VFW Sports Center.
In a game littered with penalties, Fairbanks took the lead in the first on the power play when defenseman Robin Karlsson fired a low shot through traffic that Bobcat goalie Alex Bitsakis could not track to make it 1-0 for the visitors with 6:42 left in the period.
When Cole Souto was assessed a five-minute major in the middle frame, Evan Giesler nearly evened the score for the Cats on a shorthanded breakaway but was foiled by a kick save from Fairbanks netminder Kevin Aldridge.
Jared Spooner got a shorthanded breakaway of his own early in the third, but missed the net to the left.
On the ensuing rush, Todd Burgess extended the score to 2-0, grabbing an entry from Chandler Madry and tucking it five-hole on Bitsakis for a two-goal swing at the 13:58 mark of the final stanza.
The Bobcats kept battling, however: Giesler appeared to get the home side on the board with 9:43 to go, whipping home a Cullen Willox rebound, but had the goal waved off due to an inadvertent early whistle.
Off the next faceoff, Oskars Batna sent a wide-open Matt Perry rebound wide as Aldridge scrambled to get back into position.
Though the Cats managed the last eight shots on net in the contest, they could not solve Aldridge—who finished with 27 saves—suffering their second home shutout loss of the season.
Bitsakis took his third shutout loss of the season, stopping 18 of 20 Fairbanks efforts in defeat.
Despite falling Friday, the Bobcats now sit two points away from not only securing a playoff spot but also locking themselves into third place after Brookings topped Aberdeen 2-1 in regulation.
The Cats will wrap up their season-high seven-game home stand Saturday with a 7:15pm rematch against the defending champion Ice Dogs.
Tickets are now on sale for the Cats’ third-to-last home game of the regular season: fans can buy & print tickets online at BismarckBobcats.com or charge by phone at 222-3300.
Live coverage of Saturday’s old-school AWHL showdown will start 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 entering its home stretch, pro-rated season tickets are still available for the last run of home games; fans who want to lock in their seats for the remainder of the campaign should call the Bobcat office at 222-3300 today!