Cats Drop Heartbreaker to Brahmas
December 18, 2015 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
The Wildcats bounced back from a devastating loss Thursday night and improved their play tremendously, but fell just short in a 3-2 overtime defeat.
Unlike Thursday night's contest, Friday night's game was tight-checking and yielded few scoring chances. Several Lone Star breakaways were denied by Justin Kapelmaster. The Wildcats managed seven shots on Corbin Kaczperski, who stopped all of them. Kapelmaster was fazed after Michael Rounds and Hogan Davidson collided and slid into Kapelmaster from behind, taking his legs out from under him. Despite a scare, Kapelmaster returned and didn't miss any time.
In the second period, however, Kapelmaster was stung again after a net-mouth battle caused some problems for him and caused him to leave the ice. This time, he did not return to the game. He was replaced by Julian Sime. Playing in front of a fresh goaltender, the Wildcats finally opened the scoring. Holden Cronin, playing in his second game after the injury, set up Austin Albrecht mid-stride, who fired a shot high on the glove side of Kaczperski to give the veteran his 16th of the season.
Julian Sime turned aside a number of shots coming in stone-cold off the bench. However, with just seconds remaining in the second period, the Brahmas won an offensive zone faceoff. Alex Berardinelli set up Martin Mellberg for a hard and accurate one-timer which beat Sime. The game was tied at 1 heading into the third period.
The final regulation frame yielded two goals, one by Bud Madej off another offensive zone faceoff win and another by Aleksi Poikola off a perfectly placed pass by Ryan Burnett. Poikola was open in the blue paint to slam the puck through the five-hole of Kaczperski to tie the game in front of family in attendance from Finland.
The game remained tied at 2 at the end of regulation, and overtime hockey at the KYC was underway for the first time of the season. The Wildcats outplayed the Brahmas in the 3-on-3 frame, getting a few good looks on Kaczperski. However, the Lone Star goaltender shut the door, and November's Defenseman of the Month Cameron Clarke skated the puck with all kinds of room, and rifled a shot high on the glove side of Sime to seal the win for the Wildcats. Friday night's defeat marked the halfway point of the 2015-16 season for the Wildcats, and it also marked the first time the Cats lost back-to-back games all season.
Sime was given his first overtime loss of the season after stopping 13 of 16 shots. Kaczperski was handed his ninth win, denying 23 of 25 attempts. The Wildcats close out the six-game series with the Brahmas at the KYC on Saturday, December 19th before heading home for the holidays.
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North American Hockey League Stories from December 18, 2015
- Cats Drop Heartbreaker to Brahmas - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Jr. Blues Fall to Topeka - Springfield Jr. Blues
- IceRays Downed by Amarillo, 3-1 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Ice Dogs Defeat Titans in First Game of Weekend - New Jersey Titans
- IceRays Acquire Defenseman Cody Lichtenvoort - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Offensive Outbreak for Brahmas - Lone Star Brahmas
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