Wildcats start off homestand with losses
Published on January 12, 2009 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
After playing 21 of their first 29 games away from the Kay Yeager Coliseum, the Wildcats come home for eight in a row in the month of January, starting this past weekend with two games against the Springfield Junior Blues. The Wildcats had faced the Junior Blues six times prior to this past weekend, winning four games in Springfield, while losing two at home.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the pattern continued, as the home team still has not won a game in their season series. Friday night was an 8-3 loss, while Saturday saw the Wildcats getting off to a better start, but in the end, losing 4-3 in overtime.
Friday night was Teacher Appreciation Night, with a crowd of 2,633 coming to the Kay Yeager Coliseum. Unfortunately, Springfield scored twice within the first five minutes of the game and scored a total of seven goals in the first two periods of play. The Wildcats got two goals from defenseman Brett Kaneshiro, sandwiched around one from Broderick Browne.
Saturday night's early 2-0 lead looked like a good start to overcoming Friday night's 8-3 debacle, but the Springfield Junior Blues came back for a 4-3 overtime victory.
Brett Hartung's shot from the top of the circle beat goaltender Matt Wichorek for a 1-0 lead only 1:25 into the game. Assists went to Chad Hudson and Matt Shost. Then at the 4:27 mark of the second, Adam Kuhn found the back of the net from Shost and Curtis Heinz for a 2-0 lead.
Mike Jarboe stopped the first 21 shots he faced before Brandon Bahnemann popped a puck past him late in the second to cut the Springfield deficit to 2-1. Bahnemann added a second goal to tie the game at two in the third. Just over three minutes later, with a two-man advantage on the power play, it was Ricky Brown getting a puck in the slot and sending it past Wichorek for a 3-2 lead, assisted by Braden Kinnebrew and Sean Coffey. However, it took only 23 seconds before Springfield tied the game up again with their second shorthanded goal of the period from Kyle Verbeek.
The Junior Blues outshot the Wildcats 4-1 in overtime, culminating in a Nick Curry goal from Jon Gaffney at the 3:40 mark of the extra period for a 4-3 Springfield victory.
The Wildcats and Junior Blues play each other four more times this season, twice at the KYC, and twice in Springfield.
Upcoming Home Games
The string of home games continue for the Wildcats, as on January 16th and 17th, the expansion Wenatchee Wild will make their first trip to the Kay Yeager Coliseum. Friday the 16th is United Regional Health Care System T-Shirt Night, while Saturday the 17th is Military Appreciation Night. Last year's Military Appreciation Night featured a crowd of 5,485 fans, a number we're hoping to surpass this year, so come on down to the KYC, watch the Wildcats, and show your support for our military! The Wildcats will be wearing special camouflage jerseys that will be raffled off to military members after the game.
The following week will feature four games, as the Wildcats play Tuesday and Wednesday, January 20th and 21st against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, and then on Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th against the Wenatchee Wild once again. The games all will start at 7:05 pm.
Wildcats in the Community
The Wildcats will be visiting Sheppard Air Force Base on Tuesday, January 13 to visit the dining hall, sign autographs and promote the team's upcoming Military Appreciation Night.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 12, 2009
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