BISMARCK, ND – A three-goal second-period blitz highlighted the Bismarck Bobcats’ 3-1 come-from-behind win over the Aberdeen Wings at the VFW Sports Center Friday night.
Trailing 1-0 in the second period, the Bobcats’ offense came alive on the stick of Nikolaj Rosenthal—fresh off a tour of duty with Team Denmark at the 2011 World Junior Championships—when the Danish sniper collected a rink-wide pass from Dan Zawacki on an up-ice rush with 7:47 left in the middle frame and rifled a one-time shot off Wings goalie Hunter Leisner and in to tie the game 1-1.
Rosenthal followed up his tenth goal of the season with his eleventh 2:28 later, burning home a cross-ice feed from Danny Ray on the power play to boost the home side to a 2-1 lead—a lead they would not relinquish.
“It was a huge lift to get a goal from our power play in that spot,” noted Bobcats head coach Layne Sedevie. “You see so many times in a tight game where a power play goal ends up making the difference, and tonight it was the game winner for Nikolaj.”
Sam Dougherty brought the house down with 5:03 left in the period—just 2:44 after Rosenthal’s equalizer—backhanding a Charlie Mosey rebound past a sprawling Leisner to extend the Cats’ edge to 3-1.
The Bobcats defense and forecheck locked the Wings down in the third, allowing only a handful of chances to the visitors, most of which were blocked by the Bobcat defense before they ever made it to goalie Ryan Faragher.
Faragher made 18 saves to pick up his league-best 19th win of 2010-11, but was burned in the first period by a defensive zone turnover when a Dalton Spicer outlet pass was intercepted by Wings forward Cory Ward. Ward found linemate Tim Tuscher wide open in front of Faragher, and the Wings captain redirected Ward’s feed into the Bismarck net to give Aberdeen a 1-0 edge 10:52 into the game.
Leisner stopped 26 Bobcat shots but fell to 11-16-3 on the year.
Friday’s game was the 2011 opener for both teams after their games on New Year’s weekend were cancelled due to inclement weather.
“The guys were all really disappointed to not be able to get out there and play last week,” noted Rosenthal, who has three goals in his last two games in a Bobcats uniform, “but we used the extra week of practice to get sharp and come together again—and it paid off with a win tonight.”
Friday’s win gives the Cats their biggest lead in the Titan Machinery Dakota Cup over the Wings at 10-7 thanks to a 5-3-0 record in the season series.
The two-game home-and-home series shifts to Aberdeen for Saturday’s weekend finale, slated for a 7:15 PM start from Odde Ice Center in northeast South Dakota.
Saturday’s contest will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide at http://nahl.fasthockey.com/. As with all away games during the 2010-11 season, fans are encouraged to view the game at Reza’s Pitch—the official away game Home of the Bobcats—at the corner of Third and Front in Bismarck. Pre-game coverage will begin at 6:45 PM CT.
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2010-11 season! Call the Bobcat Hockey office at (701) 222-3300 or email gobobcathockey@aol.com for more information on reserving your seats for the entire season as the Bobcats look to defend the Robertson Cup!
BOBCAT HOCKEY
2010 ROBERTSON CUP CHAMPIONS