BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Bobcats saw a one goal lead turn into a two-goal deficit in a seven-minute span and saw their rally come up short as the Coulee Region Chill hung on for a 4-3 win Friday at the VFW Sports Center.
Holding a 2-1 lead after the first period, the Bobcats saw their lead vanish 22 seconds into the second as Matt Blomquist ripped a transition one-timer past goalie Ryan Faragher to tie the game 2-2.
Bad luck beset the Bobcats with 14:27 left in the middle frame when Faragher made the initial stop on a Zac Frischmon effort but the Bobcat backcheck knocked the rebound into the net, boosting the Chill to their first lead at 3-2.
1:45 later, red-hot Coulee Region forward Connor Gaarder, who burned the Cats for a hat trick last Saturday, extended the lead to 4-2 when he popped home a centering feed from Lucas Dillon.
“I’m very frustrated,” confessed Bobcats head coach Layne Sedevie. “I wanted our guys to key in on Gaarder and Frischmon and they ended up with the big goals.
“Coulee Region was the better hockey team tonight, plain and simple.”
The Bobcats attempted to rally late as Matt Gates netted his second of the night with 1:21 left to go in regulation, banging in a Charlie Mosey rebound to pull it back to a 4-3 score, but Chill netminder Aaron Davis came up with a big stop on Mosey moments later to preserve the Chill’s second straight win over the Bobcats.
Gates got the Bobcats started 3:24 into the game, scorching a low liner past Davis for a fast 1-0 lead.
Coulee Region answered 29 seconds later, however, when the Bobcat defense lost blueliner Ben Gislason in transition, who rang a one-timer from Frischmon past Faragher for the one-all tie.
Dan Zawacki gave the lead back to the Bobcats with 9:21 remaining in the opening fram, deflecting a point shot from John Furgele past Davis.
Davis stopped 37 shots en route to his eighth win of 2010-11; Faragher made 26 saves but suffered his 13th loss of the season.
The Bobcats and Chill will face-off for the final time in the 2010-11 regular season Saturday with a 7:15 PM puck drop.
Saturday’s season series finale will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide at http://nahl.fasthockey.com/. Pre-game coverage will begin at 6:45 PM CT.
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2010-11 season! Call the Bobcat Hockey office at (701) 222-3300 or email gobobcathockey@aol.com for more information on reserving your seats for the entire season as the Bobcats look to defend the Robertson Cup!
BOBCAT HOCKEY
2010 ROBERTSON CUP CHAMPIONS