'Cats lose last two of 2010
Published on January 3, 2011 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
The Wildcats will look toward a happier new year in 2011 after finishing the 2010 calendar year with two losses. On Wednesday, they lost to the Amarillo Bulls 7-3, while Friday saw them drop a 4-2 decision to Texas.
Wednesday's game was all Amarillo for the first 32 minutes, as the Bulls jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first period, with two goals from Michael Erickson and one from Kyle Sucher. The Wildcats would finally get going at the 12:07 mark of the second as Jason McAloon made it a 3-1 game. Mitch Rogge extended the Amarillo lead to 4-1, but Daniel Hildebrandt cut it back to 4-2, taking a perfect feed from Joe Adams and streaking in uncontested before beating Steve Bolton through the five-hole.
The Bulls would score twice more for a 6-2 lead, with Matt Johnson and Dan Sherer each coming through with a goal. Mac Olson added a third goal for the Cats, but the Bulls would add one more with 11:07 left.
The game was a rough-and-tumble affair, with a total of four fights-one in the first period, two in the second, and one in the third. Dakota Klecha picked up 25 minutes in penalties including a game ejection for being involved in two of the four fights. During that second altercation, goalies Steve Bolton and Tyler Green also shed the gloves and helmets and went out to center ice, but were interrupted by referee Jordan Solomon before they could engage in any fisticuffs. Each received matching minor penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Friday's game saw the Wildcats lead twice in the first before falling 4-2 against the Texas Tornado. Wade Bennett got the Wildcats on the board midway through the first with his second goal of the season, but the Tornado tied the game at the 16:21 mark off a Jack Prince power play goal. With a minute to go, Ryan Frost scored from a tough angle to put the Wildcats up 2-1. It looked like that lead would last through to the intermission, but the Tornado poked a puck through at the end of the period. The red goal light never came on (though the green light at the horn did), but referee Nate Farkas immediately pointed that the puck was in the net before the horn sounded, and the game was tied at 2.
The second period saw no scoring, but a slew of penalties, as the teams combined for 39 minutes in penalties, including a major and ejection to Rock Einersen for slashing goaltender Eric Garavaglia in the mask.
Texas would take the lead a minute into the third on a power play goal, then added an insurance goal with 13:08 left on a nifty move by former Wildcat Taylor Herndon, where he dodged a poke-check from Garavaglia while going at top speed, pulled the puck around on a toe drag and slipped it into a wide open net.
With the 2010 calendar year in the books, the Wildcats have 25 games left in the season. Currently, they are fourth in the NAHL South, 7 points behind third place Topeka, and 7 points up on fifth place Corpus Christi. The top four teams make the playoffs.
WEEKEND NOTES: The Wildcats set a team season record for most penalty minutes in a game with 67 against Amarillo on Wednesday. The previous record was 57 against Topeka on October 8, while the team's all-time record is 106 against St. Louis in 2007. Sean Keane was held without any points in either game this past week. The Wildcats are only 4-10-1 when he is held off the score sheet.
Stebih plays in WJC!
Wildcats defenseman Miha Stebih took some time away from the team to represent his home country of Slovenia at the Division 1 Group B World Junior Championships. The Slovenian squad finished second with a 4-0-0-1 record. Stebih had a goal and was a +4 in the five games. Slovenia's lone loss game against Division 1B champion Denmark.
Preview: 1/7-8 vs. Fresno Monsters
The Wildcats will face the Fresno Monsters for the first time this weekend. The Monsters are an expansion team in the 2010-2011 season. Their assistant coach should be a familiar name to Wildcats fans: Mike Perkins was a coach for the Wichita Falls Rustlers and Wildcats from 2002-2007.
The Monsters are currently fifth in the NAHL West Division with a 12-17-3 record. Top scorer John Siemer recently left the team for a USHL spot. Their current scoring leaders are Mike Cox (22 points), Willie Hess (15 goals), and Jeffrey Pauluk (14 assists). Luis Puig and Tom Conlan have split time in goal. Puig is 6-7-1 with a 3.45 GAA and .889 save percentage in 18 games, while Conlan is 3-5-1, 3.90, and .878 in 10 games.
Free Tickets on Friday!!!
Help the Wildcats pack the house this Friday, as all tickets are FREE! They're going fast though, so make sure to call now to get yours! Contact the Wildcats' office at 940-716-5587 from 9 am to 5 pm this week!
Upcoming Wildcats' Events
The Wildcats' Coaches Radio Show continues this week at El Diablo Burrito on Kell Boulevard! Come down and hear Drew and the coaches talk about this past week's games, and see what's in store for this coming weekend against the Fresno Monsters. Plus you'll get to hear from one of your favorite players in the "Talk to the Team" segment. It all happens Tuesday at 7:30; if you can't be there tune in on 94.9 KOLI, The Outlaw.
Broomball, adult hockey, and open skating: Check WFWildcatsHockey.com for the schedule under the Games and Ice Events tab! Any questions about our ice programs Contact Brandon Miller in the Wildcats office, 940-716-5587.
Alumni Report
Dan Sexton has put up 9 points in 8 games since being sent down to Syracuse in the AHL. He has three assists in January's two games.
Andrew Conboy had a couple of two-point games-two goals against San Antonio on December 19 and 2 assists against Toronto on December 26.
Kyle Kraemer had his third two-point game as a pro, picking up 2 assists on Friday in Ontario's 5-3 loss to Alaska in the ECHL. Kraemer has 11 points through 14 games.
Thanks largely to Chad Costello, the Tulsa Oilers have clawed their way to the middle of the pack in the CHL's Berry Conference. Costello leads the team with 48 points in 34 games and has scored in 12 of his last 13 games, including a five-game goal scoring streak, and back to back four-point games on Saturday and Sunday.
Cal Heeter picked up two wins for Ohio State this weekend, beating Army 5-3 and Vermont 3-1 at the Catamount Cup.
Luke Salazar was instrumental in Denver's come-from-behind win over Northern Michigan. Down 2-0 in the third, the Pioneers tied the game, and Salazar put them in front at the 11:21 mark. He added their fifth goal at the 13:02 mark of the third. He assisted on the game tying goal as well.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2011
- Schmidbauer Earns SBK Hockey/West Player of the Week - Wenatchee Wild
- NAHL Announces Players of the Week - NAHL
- Monsters Weekly - Fresno Monsters
- 'Cats lose last two of 2010 - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Bulls Back in First Place - Amarillo Bulls
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