BISMARCK, ND – The top spot in the Central Division will be up for grabs this weekend as the Bismarck Bobcats are set to host the Coulee Region Chill for a two-game series at the VFW Sports Center.
The Cats (6-5-1, 13 pts) and the Chill (6-1-1, 13 pts) are tied for first in the Central coming into their first two meetings of the season.
While the Coulee Region moniker may be new for the 2010-11 season, the Chill are the franchise formerly known as the North Iowa Outlaws—one of the oldest and most-hated rivals of the Bobcats in the NAHL.
“They’ll be wearing different jerseys, but everyone will immediately recognize the old North Iowa guys on Coulee Region,” said Bobcats goalie Ryan Faragher. “They’re a tough, physical and sometimes dirty team and I think that makes them a lot of fun to play against. I’ve been looking forward to this series for sure.”
A pair of Outlaw holdovers lead the charge for the Chill, as Zac Frischmon (6 G, 4 A) and Connor Gaarder (3 G, 7 A) lead Coulee Region in scoring with 10 points in eight games, while 2009-10 North Iowa starting goalie Paul Moberg sports an impressive line for the Chille with a 5-0-1 record, a 1.94 GAA and .946 SV%.
Despite the season being just over a month old, the Bobcats recognize the importance of the clash of first-place squads.
“Right now, Coulee Region has played four fewer games than us, so they could pick up a full eight points on us by the time they’ve played as many games as we have,” noted Bobcat defenseman Tom Rizzardo. “That’s a big swing, so we know that it would be huge for us to come out and try to get four points from them on Friday and Saturday.”
The line of Charlie Mosey (6 G, 7 A), Frank DeAugustine (6 G, 5 A) and Dan Zawacki (2 G, 7 A) paces the Bobcat attack while Faragher anchors the back end with a 5-3-1 record, a 2.22 GAA and a .917 SV%.
“This weekend’s series will have long-range impact on the division,” said Bobcats head coach Layne Sedevie, “and not just because we’re tied with Coulee Region right now. You look at the standings, and Alexandria is right there one point behind us.
“Not only that, but with the change in the playoff format this year [requiring a playoff between the two divisional winners with the worst record for the final spot at nationals should Topeka fail to win the South Division] and you can’t leave any points on the table this year.”
The puck drops on the first-place showdown at 7:15 PM Friday night at the VFW Sports Center, with Saturday’s series finale also at 7:15 PM.
Both games 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 each night.
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