Bobcat Weekend Preview: Critical Road Clashes Loom for Bobcats before Christmas
Matchups: Bismarck Bobcats (15-14-1, 3rd Central) vs. Minot Minotauros (18-8-3, 1st Central); Aberdeen Wings (13-13-2, 4th Central)
Games: Friday, December 19, 7:35pm; Saturday, December 20, 7:15pm
Place: Maysa Arena, Minot, N.D.; Odde Ice Center, Aberdeen, S.D.
This Year: Minotauros lead Bobcats 3-1-1; Bobcats lead Wings 4-0-1
All-Time: Bobcats lead Minotauros 28-9-4; Bobcats lead Wings 33-12-8
Radio: SuperTalk 1270 AM, 7:05pm Friday; 6:45pm Saturday
Internet TV: http://NAHL.FASTHockey.com, 7:05pm Friday; 6:45pm Saturday
BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Bobcats will face a pair of pivotal road tests before the Christmas break as they head north for a Friday tilt against the Minot Minotauros at Maysa Arena before finishing the pre-holiday weekend in Aberdeen against the Wings.
Friday will feature an in-state rematch between the two sides that traded four-goal rallies last Saturday before a late John Snodgrass goal delivered the Tauros a 5-4 win in the capital.
An already smoldering Peace Garden State rivalry has erupted since late November, with the Bobcats and Minotauros combining for 23 goals and 180 penalty minutes in their last three matchups; Minot winger Johnny Walker alone has contributed a goal and 55 PIM in those three contests.
While Walker's 12 goals are tops on Minot, his linemates Blake Lizotte and Christian Mohs are the Tauros' leading scorers with 34 and 32 points, respectively.
Aberdeen, who pushed the Bobcats to the limit in a 5-4 win by the black and gold to start last weekend, follow the pace of captain Kyle Haak; the third-year center carries the Wings' scoring standard with 23 points on seven goals and 16 helpers.
Forwards Michael Soucier (20), Ronnie Hein (15) and Bjorn Sigurdarsson (13) have also been mainstays atop Aberdeen's scoring list in 2014-15; blueliner Tanner Okeson has done significant damage against the Bobcats this season, scoring two of his four goals in the Titan Machinery Dakota Cup.
The Bobcats are led up front by co-captains Evan Giesler and Cullen Willox: Giesler leads all Central Division skaters with 17 goals–good for third league-wide; Willox has posted two goals and six assists in December since returning from injury to submit a team-high 28 points in just 24 games played.
Live coverage of Friday’s road showdown in Minot will begin at 7:05pm locally on SuperTalk 1270, KLXX-AM, the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, and worldwide online at NAHL.FASTHockey.com, the official web television partner of the North American Hockey League.
Though the 2014-15 season is now under way, there is still time to order season tickets for the year; fans who want to lock in their seats for the entire campaign should call the Bobcat office at 222-3300 today!