BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Bobcats will be celebrating Thanksgiving by bringing back their two most regional rivals to the VFW Sports Center as they host the Aberdeen Wings for game six of the 2011-12 Dakota Cup Wednesday before taking on the Minot Minotauros on Thanksgiving night.
“We’ve got four big points out there in the middle of the week,” noted Bobcats forward Nick Miglio, “so we need to come out playing our best hockey—especially to give our fans a good show on a special holiday week.”
Wednesday’s showdown with the Wings will be Cats’ first-ever home game on the night before Thanksgiving and will feature the Bobcats’ top-rated offense—operating at a 4.43 goals per game clip—going up against Aberdeen’s potent top line of Cory Ward, Steve Obarzanek and Bob Bruski that has combined for nine goals and ten assists in five games against the Bobcats.
Obarzanek alone has accounted for eight of those goals against the Bobcats—over half of his season total of 15 and his team’s total of 13 goals in the Dakota Cup.
“No question that we need to be fully aware of when Ward’s line is out there,” stressed Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie. “We’ve been burned by that line, especially Ward and Obarzanek, so many times that I hope our defense and forwards are ready for those guys because they can change the whole game.”
The Bobcats’ attack against Aberdeen has been considerably more balanced, with goals from 14 players and only one player, Patrick Moore, with more than two goals in the season series (4).
Whereas the Cats and Wings have had a high-scoring season series predicated on skill, when the Minotauros come to the VFW it will resume a new rivalry that has been thus far been ultra-physical with plenty of action before and after the whistle.
“Minot loves to mix it up and try and take you off your game with their physicality,” said Moore, the Bobcats’ third-leading goal scorer with nine tallies. “We have to stay disciplined and not get dragged into anything after the play. Even if the refs are letting us play, we have to stay on our game.”
In their last meeting, the Bobcats rattled off five straight goals in the third period to score a 5-1 come-from-behind home victory over their neighbors to the north on November 11.
Bobcat goalie Tommy Burke, third in the league with 12 wins, backstopped the Bobcats to wins in both of their previous contests against Minot. Team points leader Castan Sommer has three goals in the Cats’ previous meetings with the Tauros.
Both games will begin at 7:15 PM at the VFW Sports Center.
Wednesday’s installment of the Dakota Cup, which the Bobcats lead 10-1, will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide on the official internet television partner of the NAHL, FASTHockey, at http://nahl.fasthockey.com. Pregame coverage gets under way at 6:45.
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2011-12 season—and going fast! Call the Bobcat Hockey office at (701) 222-3300 or email gobobcathockey@aol.com for more information on reserving a pro-rated package for this season!