Bobcats Edged at Home
BISMARCK, ND — The Bismarck Bobcats raced out to a quick start but could not sustain their scoring output, falling 3-2 to the Aberdeen Wings Friday at the VFW Sports Center.
Co-captain Cullen Willox gave the Cats a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds into the game on a rush up the left wing that the veteran forward banked home off the right skate of Aberdeen goalie Andrew Shortridge.
Aberdeen responded on the rush just over three and a half minutes later as Michael Soucier freed Victor Ostling behind the Bobcat defense; the Swede took care of the rest, beating bobcat netminder Hunter Shepard low to tie the score at one.
Willox again gave the home side the lead, this time 4:21 into the second, bashing home a loose puck on a net-front scramble for a 2-1 score.
But the Wings found another answer five-on-five with 8:42 left in the middle frame as Tucker DeYoung collected a behind-the-net pass from Brendan Riordan and stuffed the puck inside the right post before Shepard could seal off the lane for a 2-2 deadlock.
In the third, Aberdeen pulled ahead at 3-2 with their fifth power play goal in their last three games against the Cats when Bjorn Sigurdarsson ripped a low liner in through traffic with 9:44 remaining.
The Bobcats nearly equalized in the final two minutes when Willox found Harrison Aide wide open in the low slot, but Aide got too much air under his one-timer and missed the net.
Even with Shepard pulled for the extra attacker in the final minute, the Bobcats could not mount a comeback–suffering the 3-2 home defeat.
Shortridge dazzled in net for the Wings, making 38 saves–including 18 in the second period–to secure Aberdeen's third win in its last four outings. Shepard took the loss on 24 stops.
Now the Bobcats will try and bounce back as they head north to face the in-state rival Minot Minotauros Saturday at 7:35pm at Maysa Arena.
Live coverage of the Cats' penultimate trip to the Magic City 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 over half way through, there is still time to order season tickets for the year; fans who want to lock in their seats for the remainder of the campaign should call the Bobcat office at 222-3300 today!