Missed Chances Cost Bobcats on the Road
WENATCHEE, WA – The Bismarck Bobcats could not convert multiple scoring chances Friday and wound up getting shut out for the first time in the 2012-13 season as they fell to the Wenatchee Wild by a final score of 1-0 at the Town Toyota Center.
“It’s a disappointing result because our guys worked so hard to put themselves in a good position,” lamented Bobcats head coach and general manager, whose squad dropped to 0-5-0 lifetime against Wenatchee. “They deserved better [Friday]. Hats off to [Wild goalie] Robbie Nichols, though, because he was great in net tonight.”
Nichols and Aaron Nelson, his Bobcat counterpart, were the main attractions Friday. Nelson starred in the first period when he denied a back-door power play opportunity to Max McHugh while Nichols was forced to make repeated big saves in the back half of the opening frame.
The Bobcats saw golden goal opportunities by Patrick Moore and Bob Kinne go by the boards as neither could put the puck on net after getting Nichols out of position.
Nelson’s workload decreased in the second period as the vast majority of the play was in the Wild zone; Nichols was forced to come up with back-to-back saves on Bobcat breakaways to Kinne and Kevin Becker to keep the game scoreless after two.
“Right now it’s all a matter of finishing and a matter of confidence,” asserted Sedevie. “The chances were there. I told our guys after the game, once we get our scoring touch figured out, the goals will come in bunches.”
Unfortunately for the visiting Cats, the only goal of the game came off the stick of Wild forward Brian Williams 4:40 into the third as he swatted home a centering feed from Blake Roubos to post Wenatchee to a 1-0 lead.
Pressing hard for the equalizer, the Bobcats created yet more scoring opportunities on Nichols—including a chance for Shane Omdahl that saw the Wild netminder on his stomach after a crafty move to the front of the net before the puck skipped harmlessly away from Omdahl—but could not solve the Wenatchee goaltender.
Nichols picked up his 13th win of the year and his third against the Bobcats. In three meetings, Nichols has stopped 72 of 73 Bobcat shots sent his way.
Nelson was credited with 25 saves but could not avoid the hard-luck loss, the first blemish on his record in 2012-13 following a 3-0-0 start.
The Bobcats will look to bounce back and pick up a weekend split Saturday with the final game of their west coast swing—and their last non-division game of the season—scheduled for a 9:05 PM CT puck drop at Town Toyota Center.
Saturday’s series finale will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide on the official internet television partner of the NAHL, FASTHockey, at http://nahl.fasthockey.com. Pregame coverage gets under way at 8:35.
Season tickets for the 2012-13 season are now on sale—and going fast! Call the Bobcat Hockey office today at (701) 222-3300 to reserve your seats for another great season of Championship Entertainment.