Bobcats Host Blizzard in Tightening Central Chase
January 4, 2013 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bismarck Bobcats News Release
BISMARCK, ND - The Bismarck Bobcats will be looking for separation in the standings when they welcome the Brookings Blizzard to the VFW Sports Center for a stand-alone Saturday meeting at 7:15 PM.
Entering the weekend, the Bobcats (19-12-2, 40 pts) sit just four points ahead of the Blizzard (17-12-2, 36 pts) for second place in an ever-evolving Central Division race.
"We only have one game this weekend while Brookings has a couple and Minot (17-15-2, 36 pts) has three, so the two points we have available are huge," explained Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie. "With only one game on our schedule- at home, no less- we have no excuse to not be ready to go Saturday."
The Cats will also hope to make up some ground on division-leading Austin, whose 12-point margin over the second-place Bobcats is the most for any division leader coming into 2013.
Brookings will play the fifth-place Coulee Region Chill Friday before making the trip northwest Saturday.
For the Blizzard, the reacquisition of Aidan Cavalinni has sparked a once-sputtering offense; the second-year forward out of St. Louis has five goals in his last three games and nine points in eight contests since returning to Brookings.
On the other side, the Bobcats will bring a season-best four-game win streak into the showdown. That tear has been built on defense, as the Cats have allowed five goals in that span.
"Our biggest asset in the last two weeks of games has been effort," asserted Sedevie, who has received production from all four lines of late, "with all 20 guys out there giving their all and grinding the opposition we can be tough to beat.
"When we're not working hard for sixty minutes, when we come out of the gates slow, we can be beaten very easily," he added, referencing the team's last loss: a 5-1 thumping at Minot that featured four Tauros goals in the first period.
The Bobcats have also piled up 18 goals during the four-game stretch to supplement the defensive lockdown.
Saturday's matchup, which will wrap up the Cats' current four-game home stand, 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. Pregame coverage gets under way at 6:45 PM.
Pro-rated 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.
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