Bobcats Find Scoring Touch Take One Point in OT Loss to Thunderbolts
January 22, 2022 - SPHL (SPHL)
Vermilion County Bobcats News Release
The Bobcats have struggled on the road this season. Coming into Friday night Vermilion County had been unable to secure even a point on the road struggling to find their footing and get scoring anywhere. However, the new look Cats came into Friday night's game with a newfound hunger and excitement with a lot of new roster pieces and the development showing.
It didn't take long for the Bobcats to show improvement as just 2:04 into the game Chase DiBari broke on the near side and ripped a shot from the top of the circle beating Brian Billett over the shoulder to give the Cats the 1-0 lead. 1:21 later the Thunderbolts Mike Ferraro was able to beat Ben Churchfield on a rebound sitting in the slot to tie the game before Ferraro found the net again with just 1:31 left to go in the period to give Evansville a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.
The Bobcats were stuck playing defense in the second killing penalties for four of the twenty minutes, but even on the pk Vermilion County looked improved. The Cats shut down an Evansville power play that had been very successful against the Bobcats previously going 3/7 in previous games against VC. Neither side was able to find the back of the net, but late in the period the Cats took a penalty that carried over into the third.
As the third period got underway the Vermilion County penalty kill finished off the Egor Borshchev minor penalty and as he made his way out of the box, Borshchev jumped right into the play got involved offensively and fired a puck past the goaltender Billett to tie the game for the Bobcats 2-2. The rest of the third went back and forth with Vermilion County getting chances on the power play of their own, but unable to cash in. A late penalty on the Thunderbolts gave the Cats a chance that carried over into overtime.
Less than a minute into the extra frame the Bobcats had a play set up by captain Ben Boukal who fed Christian Faggas a pass on the blue line as Faggas ripped a shot from the top of the circle that looked to beat Billett, but was immediately waived off by the official. Less than two minutes later the Thunderbolts won an offensive draw and Ferraro finished his hat trick off with an overtime goal between his legs that Churchfield couldn't get to win the game 3-2.
Churchfield stopped 36 of 39 in the overtime loss.
The Bobcats get right back to action Saturday night against the Knoxville Ice Bears in their last trip to Knoxville of the season at 7:35pm eastern. Catch all the action on HockeyTV or VCBobcats.com!
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SPHL Stories from January 22, 2022
- Trio of Shorthanded Goals Power Thunderbolts Past Quad City - Evansville Thunderbolts
- Mayhem Bombarded by Ice Flyers - Macon Mayhem
- Dawgs Finish off Havoc in 5-3 Road Win - Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
- Havoc Fall to Roanoke - Huntsville Havoc
- Ice Bears Topple Bobcats for Third Straight Win - Knoxville Ice Bears
- Nippard Scores Twice, Bulls Down the Mayhem - Birmingham Bulls
- Bobcats Find Scoring Touch Take One Point in OT Loss to Thunderbolts - Vermilion County Bobcats
- Havoc Gameday: Youth Jersey Giveaway Tonight - Huntsville Havoc
- Marksmen Slip Late vs. Ice Bears - Fayetteville Marksmen
- SPHL Announces Suspension - SPHL
- Rail Yard Dawgs Announce Paramount Network Yellowstone Night on March 26 - Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
- Corona, Rivermen Victorious in OT 3-2 - Peoria Rivermen
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