The Week in Bobcat Hockey
Published on March 8, 2016 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bismarck Bobcats News Release
Full to the Brim
ST. PAUL, MN -- The day after collecting his first career junior win, a 3-1 triumph at Brookings, Bismarck Bobcats goalie Nick Althaus earned the highest honor for a keeper in the State of Hockey on Sunday, being named the winner of the 2016 Frank Brimsek Award, awarded to the top goaltender in Minnesota high school hockey.
In his senior season with Apollo High School in St. Cloud, Althaus compiled a eye-catching 23-2-0 record to go with a 1.47 GAA, a .930 SV% and a state-high eight shutouts. His 23 wins were also the most in all of Minnesota.
The night before winning the Brimsek, Althaus compiled 24 stops and came within 6:21 of earning a shutout en route to the 'W' in net as the Bobcats held off the Blizzard 3-1 in Brookings.
Althaus joins his goaltending partner, Hunter Shepard, as Brimsek winners who went on to play for the Cats; Shepard took home the very same hardware in 2014 with Grand Rapids High School.
As part of the celebration of the Frank Brimsek Award, Althaus joined Blaine's Riley Tufte, the Mr. Hockey Award recipient, in shouting "Let's Play Hockey!" at Sunday's Minnesota Wild game.
Dance Hall
After no former Bobcats appeared in the 2015 Division III National Tournament, it was revealed Monday that four Bobcat alums will take part in the 2016 D-III Big Dance.
As part of the NEHC Champion UMass-Boston Beacons, Frankie DeAugustine (2010-12) will open the tournament Saturday at 6:00pm as the seventh-seeded Beacons travel to face #5 Trinity.
Three other alums earned a bye to March 19th's quarterfinals: Rory Vesel (2010-12), Corbin Chapman (2012-13) and Nate Flynn (2013-14) all punched their tickets Saturday in an epic 5-4 triple-overtime win over St. John's in the MIAC Championship.
Plenty of Bobcat alums also secured league hardware around the D-III ranks:
MIAC All-Conference Team
Charlie Aus (2010-11), Concordia
Corbin Chapman (2012-13), Augsburg
Nate Flynn (2013-14), Augsburg
Rory Vesel (2010-12), Augsburg
Bob Kinne (2012-13), St. Mary's
Huba Sekesi (2013-14), St. John's
MIAC All-Rookie Team
Cullen Willox (2013-15), St. Thomas
WIAC All-Conference Team
Adam Knochenmus (2011-13), UW-Eau Claire
Patrick Moore (2011-13), UW-Eau Claire
Well Decorated
With the addition of Red River High School's Brock Montgomery as an affiliate player, the Bobcat roster boasts the 2014 & 2016 North Dakota Outstanding Senior Athletes in Harrison Aide and Montgomery, along with the 2014 & 2016 Minnesota Frank Brimsek Award winners in Hunter Shepard and Nick Althaus
The steady play of Jared Pike has paced the Bobcats this season: in the last 30 games, Pike has scored 27 points on 15 goals and 12 assists while the Cats have gone 23-6-1 in that span
With 12 games to play, the are 31-16-1 with 63 points and sit one point away from clinching their eighth straight Robertson Cup Playoff berth
It has now also been eight straight seasons of 30-plus wins for the Bobcats, which will only be surpassed as an active streak if Topeka reaches 30 wins this season to extend their run to nine straight years (they sit at 28 wins with 11 games to play)
Despite the sustained run of success, the Cats have not crested 31 wins since 2012-13
Nick Althaus' win on Saturday at Brookings is just the second win this season by a Bobcat goalie not named Hunter Shepard (Nick DeSimone, 12/30/15 @ MNT)
Upcoming Schedule
With a split to open March now behind them, the Bobcats dive into the final five weeks of the regular season with a two-game trip to Austin to face the defending division champion Bruins.
Bobcats at Austin
Friday, 3/11/16, at 7:05pm
Riverside Arena
Radio: SuperTalk 1270
Web TV: FASTHockey.com
Bobcats at Austin
Saturday, 3/12/16, at 7:05pm
Riverside Arena
Radio: SuperTalk 1270
Web TV: FASTHockey.com
North American Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2016
- The Week in Bobcat Hockey - Bismarck Bobcats
- NAHL Knights Blake Busch and Zach Remers Make College Commitments - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
- Amarillo Bulls and Amarillo Hockey Alumni Part of NCAA Division III National Tournament - Amarillo Bulls
- IceRays Alumni Report - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Knights Announce Youth Summer Hockey Camps - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
- Brown Bears Sign Chase Sripajittichai to Tender - Kenai River Brown Bears
- Game Day - Aberdeen Wings
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