Bobcats Rally for Second Straight Shootout Win
BROOKINGS, SD – Trailing 2-1 after two periods for the second time in as many games, the Bismarck Bobcats put together a comeback to win their second straight shootout—this time by a final of 3-2 over the Brookings Blizzard at the Larson Ice Center Wednesday.
Following a scoreless first, Brookings claimed the first goal of the game with 16:48 to go in the second when Joe Anderson deflected a Joe Nathe point shot in past Bobcat goalie Alex Bitsakis.
Brookings’ lead would double to 2-0 on a 3-on-3 rush thanks to Mike Sauer tapping in a Zach Glienke rebound with 10:09 left in the middle frame.
Late in the second Tanner Salsberry dragged the Cats back into the game, finding some shooting room on the power play for a rising wrist shot that beat Brookings netminder Ryan Kubic in traffic with 2:41 remaining in the middle stanza.
Another blueliner would net the equalizer for the Bobcats with 7:37 gone in the third as Cody Longie lofted a 50-foot shot that handcuffed Kubic and bounced in off his glove, knotting the game at two.
Both teams traded quality scoring chances over the last 12-plus minutes of regulation but Bitsakis and Kubic held firm, sending the game to overtime and eventually a shootout.
Defenseman Alex Copa gave Brookings a 1-0 shootout lead after one round; Logan Rivard answered right back in the second to even the proceeding at 1-1. Neither goalie allowed another goal in the first five rounds, sending the game to sudden death rounds.
In the first iteration of sudden death, Bobcat captain Evan Giesler tucked a backhander home off a short-range deke while Brookings’ Connor Hutchins was turned away by Bitsakis, delivering the Cats a 3-2 victory.
Bitsakis picked up his ninth win of the season behind 31 saves, plus five out of six in the shootout. Kubic remained unbeaten in regulation for the Blizzard with 30 stops.
The Bobcats will take Thanksgiving off before returning to the VFW Sports Center for the first of two interdivision home dates on Black Friday against the Minnesota Wilderness.
Tickets are now on sale for Friday’s home clash with the Midwest Division’s Wilderness: fans can buy and print tickets 24 hours a day at BismarckBobcats.com or charge by phone at 222-3300.
Live coverage of Friday’s series opener will begin at 6:45pm locally on SuperTalk 1270, KLXX-AM, the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, and worldwide online at NAHL.FASTHockey.com, the official web television partner of the North American Hockey League.
Though the 2014-15 season is now under way, there is still time to order season tickets for the year; fans who want to lock in their seats for the entire campaign should call the Bobcat office at 222-3300 today!
