High-Flying Weekend Nets Brown Star of the Week
FRISCO, TX – Thanks to his historic opening weekend numbers, Bismarck Bobcats winger Willie Brown has been named the NAHL’s Central Division Star of the Week—the first such award to be handed out for the 2015-16 season.
In just two games, Brown piled up a goal and six assists—the most ever by a Bobcat in the first two contests of a season—to lead the Cats to a weekend sweep of the defending Central Division champion Austin Bruins.
"Willie is definitely a talented player, but what sets him apart is his hockey IQ,” hailed Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, who traded for Brown at the 2015 roster deadline. “He sees plays develop better than most guys at the junior level and uses that vision to create great opportunities for his linemates and himself.
“This weekend Willie, Aaron [Herdt] and Travis [Wood] were executing in midseason form and were a major reason we were able to take four points on the weekend.”
All told, the Brown-Wood-Herdt line submitted five goals and 13 assists against Austin. Both Brown (5a) and Wood (2g, 3a) had five-point games in Friday’s 6-3 victory—a point total the Cats haven’t seen since February of 2011, when Matt Gates posted a goal and four helpers against the Owatonna Express.
For his part, Bobcat goaltender Hunter Shepard picked up honorable mention for the weekly hardware after picking up both wins in net, including his second career shutout on Saturday.
Now the Bobcats turn their attention to the 13th annual Easton NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minn.
Showcase play begins for the Cats Wednesday with a 4:15pm tilt against the New Jersey Jr. Titans, with games against the Topeka Roadrunners, Odessa Jackalopes and Coulee Region Chill to follow on subsequent days.
Wednesday’s Showcase opener will be broadcast live on locally 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 3:45pm.
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.