Offense Explodes as Bobcats Snap Skid
BISMARCK, ND – After giving up the first goal of the game Friday, the Bismarck Bobcats rattled off five unanswered goals to halt their season-high six-game losing streak with a resounding 5-1 win over the Austin Bruins at the VFW Sports Center.
Starting the game with a commanding 10-1 advantage in shots, Austin grabbed a 1-0 lead with 10:17 left in the first as Justin Misiak slammed home his 11th goal of the season, batting an AJ Drobot rebound past Bobcat goalie Camden Haugenoe.
Despite the Cats’ rough start, co-captain Jared Resseguie drew the home side level at one in transition, finding a lane to the net thanks to an entry pass from Tobias Fladeby and stuffing a diving attempt in through the legs of Bruins backstop Alex Schilling with 2:07 to go in the opening frame.
Defense carried the majority of the second period for both teams, but first-year center Matt Barry broke the tie at the 1:56 mark, stealing the puck at center and rushing up the right wing before roofing a close-range shot over Schilling’s blocker for a 2-1 Bobcat advantage after two.
Things took a strange turn with 3:58 gone in the third: Austin appeared to equalize the score on a shorthanded strike from Dante Zapata, but an inadvertent whistle before the puck went in halted play and caused the would-be score to be waved off.
Just 42 seconds after Austin was denied a tie game, rookie winger Cooper Haar registered his first career goal, snapping a one-timer from Matt Barry off of Schilling’s right pad and just over the line before Misiak could reach it in support to push the score to 3-1.
From there, the Bobcat power play put the game out of reach: getting goals from Tanner Breidenbach and Tristan Ashbrook in a span of 3:38 to give the game its final 5-1 margin.
After a busy first period, Haugenoe made nine more saves—for 20 total—to secure his third win of the season. Schilling turned in 23 stops but slipped to 5-6-0.
The two teams will re-convene for one last game before the Christmas break Saturday at 7:15pm at the VFW Sports Center. It will be the Bobcats’ fourth annual Teddy Bear Toss Night, where fans are encouraged to bring a new stuffed animal—in a plastic bag—and throw it onto the ice when the Cats score their first goal. All stuffed animals tossed will be donated to Toys For Tots and the Sanford Hospital Children’s Wing.
Tickets are now on sale for Teddy Bear Toss Night: fans can buy and print tickets 24 hours a day at BismarckBobcats.com or charge-by-phone at 222-3300.
Also available at BismarckBobcats.com is the team’s 2016 line of clothing—just in time for Christmas—as well as the all-new Bobcat Bucks gift certificates!
Friday’s weekend opener will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270 AM, and worldwide on HockeyTV.com–the web television partner of the North American Hockey League–with pregame coverage starting at 6:45pm.
Pro-rated season tickets are now on sale for the Bobcats’ landmark platinum anniversary campaign fans can get more information or reserve their seats for all of Season Twenty now by calling 222-3300.