ALEXANDRIA, MN – Ten different Bismarck Bobcats registered points as the Cats invaded the Runestone Center and blew out the Alexandria Blizzard 5-1 Friday night.
The scoring opened just 101 seconds into the game when Bobcat forward Nikolaj Rosenthal found a soft spot in the Alexandria defense and beamed a low wrist shot past Blizzard goalie Jacob Meyers to boost the Cats to a 1-0 lead that would last through the first intermission.
Just 2:47 into the second, however, the Blizzard evened the score when Nardo Nagtzaam registered his seventh goal of the year on the power play, beating Bobcat netminder Ryan Faragher with a low snap shot to tie things at one-a-side.
The Bobcats answered just over two minutes later when Sam Dougherty powered a long slapshot off Meyers and into the net for a 2-1 lead. The goal was disputed by Blizzard head coach Doc DelCastillo but referee Brady Johnson confirmed the original call for the one-goal lead with 15:05 left in the middle frame.
On the tail end of consecutive penalty kills, the visitors seized momentum for good when Emerson Auvenshine converted a 3-on-1 pass from Brett Bower with a low one-time past Meyers for a 3-1 Bobcat advantage with 4:44 to go in the second.
The Cats continued their offensive outburst in the third when defenseman Tom Rizzardo lofted a 45-foot transition slapshot over Meyers’ glove to extend the lead to 4-1 with 12:24 remaining in regulation.
Bobcat defenseman Will Preston closed the scoring for the visitors, notching his first NAHL goal in shorthanded fashion with 8:20 left in the game, powering a one-time shot through Meyers’ legs on a cross-ice feed from Tyler Richter to cap the scoring at 5-1.
Ryan Faragher made 33 saves in the win, including a breakaway save on Blizzard second-leading scorer Steve Zierke early in the first, as the Cats picked up their second straight victory.
Meyers managed 23 saves but couldn’t prevent the Blizzard from dropping into fifth place in the division with their fourth straight defeat.
The Bobcats resume regular season action when they visit the red-hot Owatonna Express, who have surged into second place behind the Bobcats in the Central, for a two-game series starting Friday at 7:00 PM at the Four Seasons Center.
The game 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 6:30 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