Close but no cigar in Frisco

November 23, 2009 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release


The Wildcats didn't get the wins they were looking for, but did at least pick up a point on the weekend. Friday the Wildcats lost to the Texas Tornado 5-3, and picked up a point via a shootout loss on Saturday, 5-4.

Stuck in a 2-for-their-last-62 skid on the power play, the Texas Tornado rode the strength of three power play goals to a 5-3 victory over the Wildcats on Friday night.

"We shot ourselves in the foot by taking some really bad penalties," said Wildcats' Head Coach John Bowkus. "This was one of our worst games on the season."

The two teams fought to an even opening period, each scoring once on ten shots on goal. The Tornado scored first on the power play at the 7:50 mark with Shay Cizmar's goal coming with one second left on their man advantage. The Wildcats would come back to tie it up as Chad Hudson scored in his first game back as a Wildcat, assisted by Aaron Quick and Tyler Briola.

"He looked good out there," Bowkus said of Briola. "He'll really help a lot in shoring up our blue line."

The Tornado took the lead while the Wildcats were on the power play, as the speedy Justin Jones nearly sprinted through the Wildcats defense and beat goaltender Erick Cinotti for a 2-1 lead. The Wildcats would battle back and tie it up once again courtesy of Brian Sheehan's team-leading 14th goal of the season. The Tornado would use the power play again late in the period as Jack Prince scored his first of two goals, giving Texas a 3-2 lead.

The Tornado would not look back from there, with A.J. Mueller scoring early in the third period for a 4-2 lead. The Wildcats would cut the deficit in half with a J.T. Osborn goal off an excellent pass from Daniel Gentzler a minute and a half later, but couldn't find the tying marker in the final fifteen minutes. Prince added an empty-net goal with a minute to play to cap the 5-3 victory for Texas. Cinotti stopped 25 of 29 shots for the Wildcats in the loss, while Aaron Quick picked up two assists.

The Wildcats' shootout woes continued Saturday night, as the Texas Tornado outscored them 2-0 in the final extra frame for a 5-4 finale. Daniel Gentzler and Brian Sheehan each scored two of the 'Cats four goals in the loss.

The game was a constant back and forth affair, with each team holding a one-goal lead on two occasions. The Tornado were the first ones out front as Mike Yovanic used his 6'7" 240 frame to screen Phil Graveline, then tipped a squibber of a shot past him for a 1-0 Tornado lead. That lead only lasted a few moments, as Brian Sheehan found the back of the net for the 15th time this season, knotting the game at a goal apiece. The Wildcats would take the lead on Gentzler's first goal of the night, assisted by J.T. Osborn, but the Tornado's Jack Prince would tie it again late in the period, going into the locker rooms at the end of 40 minutes tied again at two-all.

Not even a minute into the third, Prince would score again for a 3-2 Tornado lead. But once again, the lead was short-lived, as Sheehan tied it up just over a minute later. Gentzler's second of the night came on the power play just over three minutes later, putting the Wildcats in the driver's seat into the game's final minutes. But once again the Tornado would fight their way back, as Rock Einersen launched one from 60 feet out, beating Graveline and tying things once again at four.

The overtime period saw nothing getting past either goaltender, but the Wildcats' dry spell in the shootout continued, going 0-for-4 against Fred Edwards, while Tyler Underhill and Jack Prince would score for the Tornado, giving them the 5-4 victory.

Prince and Gentzler were each given honorable mentions in the race for the Sherwood/NAHL South Division Player of the Week.

The two teams face off again next weekend, this time at the Kay Yeager Coliseum. The games on Friday and Saturday start at 7:05 pm.



North American Hockey League Stories from November 23, 2009


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