Bobcat Weekend Preview: Bobcats Resume Divisional Play against Central’s Best
Matchups: Bismarck Bobcats (4-6-0, T-4th Central) vs. Austin Bruins (6-1-3, 1st Central); Aberdeen Wings (7-3-0, 2nd Central)
Games: Friday, October 17, 7:15pm; Saturday, October 18, 7:15pm
Place: VFW Sports Center, Bismarck, N.D.; Odde Ice Center, Aberdeen, S.D.
This Year: Bruins lead Bobcats 1-0-0; Bobcats lead Wings 1-0-0
All-Time: Bobcats lead Bruins 25-16-2; Bobcats lead Wings 30-12-7
Radio: SuperTalk 1270 AM, 6:45pm, both nights
Internet TV: http://NAHL.FASTHockey.com, 6:45pm, both nights
BISMARCK, ND – After a two-week trip to Alaska to face out-of-division foes Fairbanks and Kenai River, the Bobcats return to the Dakotas and to the Central Division as they host the first-place Austin Bruins Friday before traveling to the second-place Aberdeen Wings Saturday.
Friday is only the second home game of the season for the Cats, who have had two four-game, out-of-division road swings wrapped around a lone in-division weekend to open the year. The Alaska trip did not meet expectations, as the Cats went just 1-3-0 against the Ice Dogs and Brown Bears.
“We’re glad to be back home Friday and with a chance to try and make up some ground on the two teams at the top of the standings right now,” noted Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, “but to be able to close on [Austin and Aberdeen], we need to clean up our mistakes. In all four games in Alaska, we were tied or had the lead in the third period and we went 1-and-3, and that’s because of mistakes.”
In that lone division weekend, the Bobcats topped Aberdeen on the road but fell at the VFW Sports Center to the Bruins.
Since spoiling the Cats’ home opener on September 27, the Bruins are 1-0-3—all against Aberdeen; the Wings are 4-1-0 since their meeting with the Bobcats to pull within one point of Austin for the division lead.
Matt Perry holds the hot hand for the Bobcats, as the Air Force commit has put up four points (2g, 2a) in his last three games. In net, the Cats have platooned Alex Bitsakis, who sits fifth in the NAHL in both GAA (1.61) and SV% (.937) and Hunter Shepard, who won the Frank Brimsek Award as the top goalie in Minnesota high school hockey a season ago.
Tickets are on sale now for Friday’s rematch of Coors Light Opening Night, scheduled for a 7:15pm puck drop: fans can charge by phone at 222-3300 or buy and print online at BismarckBobcats.com.
Live coverage of Bobcats-Bruins will begin at 6:45pm 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!
