Cats Close 2015 with a 4-2 Win in Amarillo
Published on December 31, 2015 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
The Wildcats recovered from a disappointing sweep and a long holiday break and closed out 2015 with a 4-2 win over the Amarillo Bulls.
The first period was dominated by the Wildcats, who played the way fans have grown accustomed to seeing. They were not slowed down by rust as the Bulls were, and got the ball rolling seven minutes into the game. After putting on some pressure in the offensive zone for quite some time, Ben Lown redirected a point shot by Matt Hines for his sixth goal and 20th point of the year.
After a slashing penalty was called against veteran Wildcat Max Reisinger, the Cats' shorthanded units got the job done with aplomb. They created better chances than their counterparts, and rode the momentum into their first power play a few minutes later. Adam Goodsir was set up by Aleksi Poikola on the man-advantage and sniped a shot high on the glove side of Anton Martinsson for his team-leading 17th goal of the season, which doubled the Cats' lead.
The Wildcats came out sleeping early in the second period. Three and a half minutes into the middle frame, Trent Dillinger pounced on a rebound conceded by Justin Kapelmaster to get the Bulls on the board and cut the Wildcats' lead in half. Thirteen seconds later, still fazed from the previous goal, the Wildcats found themselves caught with the Bulls' leading scorer Joey Molinaro in possession of the puck on a 2-on-1. He used his teammate as a decoy to draw Rourke Russell away from him, and deked out Kapelmaster before burying a backhand shot into the net to tie the game.
The Cats snapped out of their slumber after conceding two goals in thirteen seconds, but were stumped by Martinsson. The Swedish goaltender stopped all 17 shots thrown his way in the second period, many of which were taken on an extended five-minute power play, on which the Wildcats failed to convert.
Battling frustration, the Wildcats continued their hard work and finally managed to sneak a shot past Martinsson. Garrett Van Wyhe was set up in the slot by Austin Albrecht on a rush and fired off Martinsson's stick and into the net to regain the lead for the Cats. Desperate to tie the game, the Bulls conceded another odd-man rush to the Wildcats' European Line, which utilized the open ice flawlessly to set up Nikita Litviak for a slam dunk. The highlight-reel play will undoubtedly be one of the NAHL's Top Ten Plays of the Week.
Kapelmaster made 25 stops on 27 shots for his 17th win of the season, while Martinsson made 42 saves on 46 shots for his 17th defeat. The Wildcats and Bulls meet at the Kay Yeager Coliseum at 7:05 pm CT on Saturday, January 2nd. The first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive team posters sponsored by Parkway Grill.
North American Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2015
- Shepard Earns Shutout as Bobcats Stifle Minot - Bismarck Bobcats
- Cats Close 2015 with a 4-2 Win in Amarillo - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Four-Goal Third Lifts Johnstown Over Brown Bears - Johnstown Tomahawks
- Weekend Preview - Philadelphia Rebels
- Bobcats Clamp Down, Drop Minotauros 5-2 - Bismarck Bobcats
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