BISMARCK, ND. – After a sweep to open up the home slate last weekend against the Watertown Shamrocks, the Bismarck Bobcats now take a weekend trip to the Mount Rushmore State for a rematch in enemy territory.
Special teams and protecting leads will be the two biggest keys this weekend, as Bismarck went nearly 40% on the man-advantage this past weekend and had to stave off two potential Shamrocks’ comebacks.
The scoring depth continued to flourish for Garrett Roth’s squad, as Will Harker continued his hot start to the season with a four-point weekend, earning him NAHL Star of the Week honors.
Alongside Harker, both Carson Clukies and Brenden Espenell notched four points as well, while Bismarck scored nine goals across the two-game slate.
For Watertown, starting on time is going to be the most crucial factor for the green and white.
Casey Kirley’s squad surrendered the first goal in both games this past weekend, the first time they had done so this season, and found themselves in three-goal deficits in both battles as well, a near-impossible hole to climb out of.
Watertown will look to generate more offense from its lineup this weekend, with Justin Bartley and Kirill Borodulin the only Shamrocks to record multiple points during last weekend’s series.
The possibility of tensions carrying over from Saturday’s affair also adds another element to the rematch. A combined 107 penalty minutes were handed out in the finale, fueled by a number of scrums throughout the second and third periods.
The Bobcats will look to extend their four-game winning streak, dating back to the NAHL Showcase, while improving on their 9-1 record in their last 10 meetings with Watertown.
You can watch live on NAHLtv.com or tune in on the radio on SuperTalk 1270 and the SuperTalk 1270 Mobile App.