The Bismarck Bobcats took to home ice once again for the second-to-last home weekend of the regular season as they welcomed the Minnesota Mallards to town.
The Bobcats would get the party started early just over 4 minutes in as they were going for a change Mark Evans carried in the zone 1 against 5 and just ripped the puck five-hole on Troy Wright to make it a 1-0 contest. Just minutes later, the Bobcats would tally a shorthanded goal on a beautiful move from Snyder on the breakaway to double the Cats lead. Minnesota wouldn’t go away easily as Bryce Wiitala would convert on a penalty shot due to a delay of game penalty in the crease issued to the Cats. Bismarck would take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.
Moving to the 2nd period it was ALL Cats. 55 seconds in, Eddie Revenig unleashed a slapshot from the right-wing circle to make it a 3-1 contest just after the power play expired. Bismarck would then unleash two goals in a span of 19 seconds just about midway through the period, including Haydon Eckart’s 1st career NAHL goal. This would be the beginning of a five-goal barrage by the Bobcats and they would lead the Mallards 7-1 with about 9 minutes to go in the 2nd period. Minnesota would get one back on the power play with about 5 minutes to go in the frame as Wiitala notched his 2nd of the night.
Moving to the 3rd period, the Bobcats would open the scoring as Gianni DiVita tallied his 9th of the season to make it an 8-2 contest. The Mallards would go on to tally 2 more power play goals, but it wouldn’t be enough as Bismarck would take game one by a final score of 8-4.
Evan Hazelberg stopped 23/27 in the win and notched #5 in the win column on the season.
Moving to Saturday night, the Bobcats once again got off to the hot start, striking just over 6 minutes into the contest as Oscar Jonsson stuffed the puck home in the blue paint on the power play to make it 1-0. The Bobcats struck again on the power play later in the period as Evans would fire home his 2nd of the weekend to make it 2-0. Bismarck outshot Minnesota 12-4 in the 1st period as they took the 2-0 lead into the intermission.
The 2nd period was exactly like the 2nd period from Friday night. 5 goals in a span of 15 minutes for the Bobcats in the middle frame. Evans, Snyder, Bell, Dodig, and Cronin all found the back of the net as Patch Cronin’s goal was the only non-5 on 5 goal that the Cats scored on the period as Patch tucked it home shorthanded on a breakaway. Bismarck would take a 7-0 lead heading into the 2nd intermission.
The Cats would cruise in the 3rd period as they would get a power play goal from Danny Browning, his 1st career NAHL goal, and a shorthanded goal from Camden Alemond as well. The Bobcats would score 3 shorthanded goals on the weekend, along with Saturday night being the first game all season that the Bobcats scored 2 SHG in a contest. The Mallards would strike on the power play to pull back within 8, but Bismarck would skate away with the 9-1 victory and the weekend sweep.
The Cats are back on the road for the final time in the 2025-26 regular season as they take on the Austin Bruins. Puck drop is set for 7:05 P.M. on both nights be sure to head down to one of our road watch parties to catch all the action!