Wildcats Defeat Brahmas in 18-Round Shootout
Published on January 23, 2016 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
For the 12th and final time of the regular season, the Wildcats and Brahmas crossed paths on the same ice surface. In front of a fired up home crowd on Jersey Off Our Back Night, the Wildcats defeated the Brahmas in an 18-round shootout by a final score of 4-3.
The Cats got off to arguably their quickest start of the season and ignited the KYC right away. Michael Rounds snapped a shot from the left point which went over the glove of Corbin Kaczperski to give the Wildcats the lead just 39 seconds into the game. Just minutes later, on their first penalty kill of the game, Nick Rosa was given a pass by Holden Cronin in the Brahmas' slot before jabbing the puck past Kaczperski for his 11th goal of the season.
The Brahmas answered on their next power play, however, when Dalton Skelly fired a wrist shot past Justin Kapelmaster from the top of the left circle. Ryan Burnett would respond four minutes later, when he stole the puck in the Lone Star zone before slipping it through Kaczperski's five-hole, causing the Brahmas' goaltender to be pulled in favor of Conor O'Brien.
The ice was tilted in the Brahmas' favor in the second period. They outshot the Cats 13-8 in the middle frame and scored two goals within the first six minutes to tie the game up. Johan Lundgren stickhandled through several Wildcats in the offensive zone before snapping a slot shot high on Kapelmaster to make the score 3-2. Four minutes later, Tyler Drevitch scored his third goal of the series on a tap-in after being set up perfectly by Martin Mellberg. The goal would tie the game in the late stages of a Lone Star power play and silence the KYC.
Late in the second, Erich Jaeger was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for uncharacteristically slashing Cameron Clarke while he was down on the ice in an effort to pry the puck free.
Both teams failed to score in the third period and in the 3-on-3 overtime period, sending the game to a shootout. Despite heading to extra time four times this season, the Wildcats and Brahmas had never once gone to a shootout. It took 29 saves between Kapelmaster and O'Brien before the game was finally decided by Adam Goodsir, who wristed a shot past O'Brien on the blocker side to end the weekend and the season-series on an extremely high note.
Kapelmaster earned the First Star of the Game with a 22-save night and a 15-save shootout for his 23rd victory, while O'Brien was given the Second Star of the Game with a 23-save night and a 14-save shootout for an undeserved defeat. The Wildcats are back on the ice on Friday, January 29th in Topeka to take on the RoadRunners.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 23, 2016
- Jacks win 4-3 in a shootout despite Gernhofer's hat trick - Odessa Jackalopes
- Brahmas Lose in Historic Shootout - Lone Star Brahmas
- Wildcats Defeat Brahmas in 18-Round Shootout - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Tomahawks Game on Saturday, January 23 Postponed to April 1 - Johnstown Tomahawks
- Rebels Top Titans 4-1 - Philadelphia Rebels
- Amarillo Bulls Blanked by Odessa 5-0 - Amarillo Bulls
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