Cats Hang on to Stun Brahmas
December 11, 2015 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
The Wichita Falls Wildcats held on to defeat the Lone Star Brahmas by a score of 2-1 on Friday night despite being outshot 25-15.
The first period outplayed the Wildcats enormously in the first period. They fired 12 shots on goal before the Cats even had their first. Fortunately for them, their first shot was a goal. André Pison skated the puck down the right wing and rifled puck high glove-side on Corbin Kaczperski to give the Cats a 1-0 lead.
The Brahmas are known for their ability to quickly respond after conceding a goal. Despite the frustration of outshooting their opponents 12-1 and trailing in the game, they kept their wits about them. Their veteran winger and leading scorer Oskar Andren flew down the left side and sniped a shot perfectly into the top corner of the net on the glove side of Justin Kapelmaster to tie the game at one.
The Cats bounced back in the second period after being outshot 14-5 in the first frame. They tipped the scales in their favor and grinded things out against the hungry Brahmas. The big turning point in the second period was the full 5-on-3 power play allotted to Lone Star after Nikita Litviak and Jeff Baum had taken roughing and interference penalties, respectively. The penalty killing units were rock-solid, as they have been all season long, and fought off the Brahmas two-man-advantage for a full two minutes.
The third period was tightly contested, and the Wildcats were the only team to find an opening. After outworking several Brahmas behind the Lone Star net, Austin Albrecht skated out to the front of the net and turned the puck on net. Kaczperski denied the shot, but Nick Rosa was right there to jam the puck past him. Rosa's 8th of the year gave the Cats a 2-1 lead.
With Friday night's win, the Wildcats earned their eighth consecutive victory and their third straight against the Brahmas. Four games between the South Division rivals now separate them from the holiday break.
Kapelmaster made 24 stops in his 15th win, while Kaczperski made 13 saves in his fourth regulation loss. The Wildcats and Brahmas meet again at the NYTEX Sports Centre on Saturday, December 12th at 7:30 pm CT.
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North American Hockey League Stories from December 11, 2015
- Special Teams Spark IceRays 2-1 Win over Bulls - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Cats Hang on to Stun Brahmas - Wichita Falls Wildcats
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