Bobcat Weekend Preview: Bobcats Return Home for Interdivision Set
Matchups: Bismarck Bobcats (11-12-1, 4th Central) vs. Minnesota Wilderness (14-7-1, 2nd Midwest)
Games: Friday, November 28, 7:15pm; Saturday, November 29, 7:15pm
Place: VFW Sports Center, Bismarck, N.D.
This Year: Series tied 0-0-0
All-Time: Wilderness lead Bobcats 3-0-1
Radio: SuperTalk 1270 AM, 6:45pm, both nights
Internet TV: http://NAHL.FASTHockey.com, 6:45pm, both nights
BISMARCK, ND – Fresh off two come-from-behind shootout wins on the road, the Bismarck Bobcats return to the VFW Sports Center for a two-game series against the Midwest Division’s Minnesota Wilderness starting Friday.
It will be the first meeting of the season between the Cats and Wilderness, who are slated for eight matchups between November and March. Last season, the expansion Wilderness took seven of eight points from the Bobcats with a 3-0-1 record behind smothering goaltending from future Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog Kasimir Kaskisuo.
In the present, the Wilderness ride a five-game win streak into the capital, including road sweeps of the Minot Minotauros and Aberdeen Wings—the top two teams in the Central Division—that has propelled them to a five-point lead for second place in the Midwest.
On the other side, the Bobcats have posted a 5-2-1 record in November to submit their best month of the season, though they are just 2-2-1 at home since Halloween.
While leading scorer Cullen Willox continues to recover from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since November 11, the Bobcats’ forward unit was bolstered Wednesday with the return of Jared Turcotte; the former California Titan has two goals and three assists in seven games in his inaugural NAHL campaign.
Minnesota presents a balanced attack offensively, boasting 10 players with 10 or more points, while the defense is the league’s fourth-ranked unit –having allowed just 53 goals in 22 games.
Former Janesville Jet and Owatonna Express goalie Brock Kautz paces the Wilderness in net with a 2.02 GAA, the league’s fourth-best rating, one slot ahead of Bobcat netminder Alex Bitsakis’ 2.17 GAA. In one fewer start, Kautz has seen 88 fewer shots than Bitsakis so far in 2014-15.
Kautz’s 10 wins—one better than Bitsakis—are tied for second league-wide.
Tickets are now on sale for Friday’s interdivision dustup: 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!
