Late Rally Comes up Short for Bobcats
MINOT, ND – Down two goals with more than a half a period left, the Bismarck Bobcats came close to tying the game but couldn’t come all the way back, falling 2-1 Tuesday to the Minot Minotauros at Maysa Arena.
Following an icing call, Minot doubled their lead to 2-0 with 11:12 to go in the third when defenseman Sam Fuss wired a rising shot through traffic that hit the crossbar and bounced straight in.
Just 49 seconds later, the Bobcats got right back into the game when Alex Strand stuffed in a Solag Bakich rebound for his fifth goal of the year.
Carrying momentum from Strand’s tally, the Cats dominated the action, getting huge chances from Jared Resseguie, Nick Alexander and Garrett Nelson but only managed to get Nelson’s opportunity on net.
Minot had a chance to extend the lead with 4:14 left, but Bobcat goalie Hunter Shepard made a highlight-reel save on a wide-open Nate Pionk to keep the score 2-1.
Though the Bobcats pulled Shepard in the final minute to bid for an equalizer, chances for Joe Tyran and Patrik Demel missed wide and sealed the game 2-1 in favor of the Minotauros.
“Alex’s goal woke us up, and we created some great opportunities going forward,” assessed Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, whose team has lost in its last three trips to the Maysa, “but before that I thought we were inconsistent. You can’t play well for just 10 minutes and expect to win against a team like Minot.”
After a scoreless first period, Tyler Jeanson got the scoring started with 9:36 to go in the second, slamming home a low-slot pass from Johnny Walker to give Minot a 1-0 lead after two.
Shepard dazzled with 26 saves but could not avoid his sixth loss of the year; Murray defeated the Bobcats for the second time this season on 22 stops.
The Bobcats now turn their attention to a two-game home series against the reigning Central Division champion Austin Bruins, starting Friday at 7:15pm at the VFW Sports Center.
Tickets are now on sale for both nights: fans can buy and print tickets online 24 hours a day at BismarckBobcats.com or charge by phone 9:00am to 5:00pm by calling 222-3300.
Friday’s rivalry clash will be broadcast live locally on SuperTalk 1270 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—with pregame coverage starting at 6:35pm.
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2015-16 campaign; if you want to beat the rush of 40,000 fans for this season, now is the time! Call 222-3300 today to reserve your seats.
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