Bobcats Bounce Back, Edge Monsters 2-1
September 21, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bismarck Bobcats News Release
BISMARCK, ND - The Bismarck Bobcats ended an early-season three-game losing skid, working hard Friday and downing the visiting Fresno Monsters 2-1 on Coors Light Opening Night at the VFW Sports Center.
It marks the second straight home opener that the Bobcats were able to claim after dropping back-to-back home lidlifters in 2009 and 2010.
"We put together about 50 or 55 minutes of good hockey against a strong team," explained Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, "with guys working hard and getting rewarded for their effort."
The Cats' first reward came just 1:50 into the game, as Bob Kinne rushed behind the Fresno net and created a turnover, feeding the front for a Sam Coborn tap-in to post the home side to a fast 1-0 lead.
Fresno, however, was able to even the score at one with 1:48 remaining in the opening frame as veteran defenseman and 2012 Top Prospects selection Kyle Sucher was able to wait out a pair of would-be Bobcat shotblockers and guide a low shot past Bobcat netminder Bryan Nies.
Both sides battled through a scoreless, penalty-ridden second that saw both sides' penalty kills clamp down as the Bobcats and Monsters combined to go 0-for-6 on the power play in the middle stanza.
Monsters goalie Macauley Haight stood tall in the third, turning away multiple Bobcat scoring chances with highlight-reel stops to keep the game square through the first ten-plus minutes of the period.
Hard work and a bit of a bounce got the Bobcats back in the lead, as captain Adam Knochenmus battled the puck to the front of Haight's net before having it poked off his stick. The puck rolled straight to Joe Giordano, though, who was able to power a low roller through Haight's legs and in for a 2-1 advantage with 5:35 to go in regulation.
"I'm not sure we've gotten any bounces yet this year, so I'm glad Joe was able to make that one count," admitted Sedevie, who is now 2-1-0 on Coors Light Opening Night as a head coach. "But the credit goes to everybody, one through twenty on the roster. We worked hard and created our own "Ëpuck luck' [Friday]."
A strong forecheck and a sturdy shot-blocking effort by the Bobcat defense kept the Monsters at bay over the final five-plus minutes, helping Nies make the 2-1 score stand up as the final margin.
Nies made 20 saves to secure his second win in three tries while Haight took the hard-luck loss-his first of the season-despite 25 saves.
The Bobcats and Monsters will close out their two-game weekend set Saturday with a 7:15 rematch at the VFW Sports 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 6:45.
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.
North American Hockey League Stories from September 21, 2012
- Rays' Comeback Bid Falls Short in Shootout 4-3 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Rays' Comeback Bid Falls Short in Shootout 4-3 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Bobcats Bounce Back, Edge Monsters 2-1 - Bismarck Bobcats
- Wild Blank Minotauros, Improve to 5-0 - Wenatchee Wild
- Kalamazoo Drops First Contest Of Season - Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings
- Tomahawks Announce First Annual Guns & Hoses Game - Johnstown Tomahawks
- Beauvais on the Radar - Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings
- NAHL Monsters Start Strong, Continue 32-Day Road Swing - Fresno Monsters
- Amarillo Bulls Announce New Location of Radio Show - Amarillo Bulls
- NAHL Showcase Sets New Standard of Excellence and Exposure - NAHL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
