Cats Drop Heartbreaker in Shootout Friday
February 5, 2016 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
Playing in their second game of a three-game road series, the Wildcats were defeated by the Odessa Jackalopes in the shootout by a score of 4-3 Friday night.
The first period was not dominated by the Wildcats like it was Thursday night. Despite having some tremendous scoring chances early on, they failed to solve Jon Flakne. Ryan Burnett split the defense in the neutral and was given a heads-up pass by Austin Albrecht for a breakaway. Burnett fired off the top of Flakne's glove and the game remained scoreless.
Odessa's leading scorer Hampus Sjodahl earned a big scoring opportunity himself after dipping the shoulder and cutting past the Wildcats' defense. He fired the puck off the inside of the far post after gaining good positioning for a shot. en off a late offensive zone faceoff with just seconds remaining in the period, Nick Rosa thought he had scored after tipping the puck between Flakne's pads on a Jeff Baum point shot, but the referee Zane Stout ultimately ruled he had redirected the shot with a high stick, denying the center of his 12th goal of the season.
The scoring was finally opened in the second period after Gray Marr tipped a blue-line shot from Andrew McLean on an Odessa power play. The Canadian winger was credited with his 12th goal of the season. On the next power play the Jacks were given, it was the Wildcats who broke through. Adam Goodsir led a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush with Jeff Baum before lifting the puck over McLean and it was swatted out of mid-air and between the legs of Flakne by Baum. The impressive goal was Baum's first shorthanded goal as a Wildcat.
For the second straight night, the Wildcats were answered immediately after scoring. After having just killed off a 5-on-3, McLean's point shot hit a Wildcat skate and bounced right onto the tape for Sjodahl, who just guided the puck into the open net. The fortunate bounce gave the 6'2 Swede his team-leading 20th goal, and would give the Jacks their second power play tally of the night.
The third period had no shortage of goal scoring. Just two and a half minutes into the period, Baum ripped a shot from the blue line which was redirected into the net by Erich Jaeger on the power play. On a similar-looking play 14 minutes later, Jaeger punched home a rebound after Baum's shot was blocked. Protecting their first lead of the game, the Jackalopes pulled Flakne for a sixth attacker in the form of Zach Zech, who scored on a wraparound with 2.5 seconds remaining in regulation, sending the game into overtime and sending the ECC into a frenzy.
No hero emerged through five minutes of 3-on-3 play, but one did emerge in the ensuing shootout. Sjodahl was the only player to score after he got Kapelmaster moving from right to left and slipped it through his five-hole. Flakne made one last blocker save on Burnett to seal the Wildcats' fate and hand them their third straight loss.
Kapelmaster made 35 saves on 38 shots for his first shootout loss of the season, while Flakne denied 33 of 36 for his third consecutive victory. The Wildcats will try to avoid being swept for the second time this season on Saturday night in the final game of a three-game road stand against the Jackalopes.
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North American Hockey League Stories from February 5, 2016
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- Cats Drop Heartbreaker in Shootout Friday - Wichita Falls Wildcats
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