BISMARCK, ND. – The Bismarck Bobcats opened their 2026-27 home schedule with a weekend sweep of the Watertown Shamrocks, earning a 5-3 victory Friday before closing out the series with a 4-2 win Saturday at the VFW Sports Center.
The two victories move Bismarck to 6-1-0-0 on the season and mark the Bobcats’ first three-game win streak on the early season.
Friday — Bismarck 5, Watertown 3
The Bobcats jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the opening period Friday and carried a 4-2 advantage into the third before holding off a late push from the Shamrocks.
Watertown cut the deficit to 4-3 early in the third period, but Linus Vieillard and the Bismarck defense shut the door the rest of the way to preserve the victory.
Will Harker led the way offensively with two goals and an assist, while Jake Caffrey also scored twice. Maddox Malmquist added a goal for the Bobcats.
Ryan Santiago, Danny Browning and Carson Clukies each recorded two assists, while Teddy Richardson, Mark Evans and Brenden Espenell each added a helper.
Bismarck capitalized on its opportunities on special teams, going 2-for-4 on the power play against a Watertown penalty kill that had yet to allow a goal entering the weekend.
The Bobcats outshot the Shamrocks 28-19, while Vieillard stopped 16 of 19 shots to earn his third victory of the season and improve to 3-1-0-0.
Saturday — Bismarck 4, Watertown 2
Bismarck carried its momentum into Saturday’s rematch, controlling the first two periods and building a 3-0 lead before Watertown mounted a third-period push.
The Bobcats outshot the Shamrocks 22-10 through 40 minutes and ultimately finished the night with a 26-22 advantage in shots.
The game took a physical turn late in the second period, when a major scrum near the end of the frame resulted in an abundance of penalties. A combined 107 penalty minutes were handed out throughout the contest.
Despite the chaos, Bismarck maintained control of the game. Cade Bell and Teddy Richardson each found the back of the net during four-on-four play, helping the Bobcats preserve their early advantage.
Will Harker, Matyas Jonak and Maddox Malmquist each recorded an assist, while Easton Thvedt turned aside 20 of 22 shots to earn the victory in net.
Bismarck finished 1-for-3 on the power play Saturday, giving the Bobcats a combined 3-for-7 mark with the man advantage over the two-game series.
With the two victories, Bismarck outshot Watertown 54-41 over the weekend and converted on three of seven power-play opportunities.
The Bobcats now sit at 6-1-0-0 on the season and will turn their attention to a rematch in South Dakota with the Shamrocks next weekend, with hopefully cooler heads prevailing on both sides.