Bobcats Gut out 2-1 Overtime Win
BISMARCK, ND – Down at home over halfway through the game, the Bismarck Bobcats rallied to edge the Aberdeen Wings 2-1 in overtime Tuesday at the VFW Sports Center to regain a first-place tie atop the Central Division.
Following a scoreless first, Aberdeen opened the scoring 10:13 into the middle frame as Kevin Fitzgerald finished off a 3-on-1 over the glove of Bobcat goalie Nick Althaus to propel the Wings to a 1-0 lead.
A seven-minute power play given late in the second—due to a fighting major and an instigator minor—turned the Bobcats fate: with 43 seconds remaining in the second, Cole Souto blasted in a one-timer from his fellow co-captain, Joe Tyran, to knot the game 1-1 heading into intermission.
Neither team was able break through in the third as Althaus turned away all 10 shots that came his way while Wings netminder Gavin Paczosa turned in six stops to send the game to overtime.
In bonus hockey, Oskars Batna caught the Wings in a line change, driving hard to the right wing circle and drawing in the Aberdeen defense before feeding the puck to the back door, giving Nick Alexander a wide-open tap-in that the first-year forward cashed in for the 2-1 victory 3:49 into the extra frame.
With Tuesday’s win, the Cats (32-16-3, 67 pts) move back into a first-place tie with Minot (31-17-5, 67 pts) in the Central Division standings. Aberdeen (20-22-11, 51 pts), meanwhile, pushed their lead for the Central’s fourth and final playoff spot to four points over idle Minnesota (20-25-7, 47 pts).
The two sides will reconvene for their final regular season matchup Friday when the Bobcats travel to the Odde Ice Center for a 7:15pm rematch against the Wings.
Friday’s installment of the Titan Machinery Dakota Cup will be broadcast live 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—with pregame coverage starting at 6:35pm.
Now that the Bobcats are in the playoffs, now is the time to reserve your 2016-17 season tickets! All new season ticket buyers will receive Playoff Priority for the Cats’ 2016 Robertson Cup Playoff. Fans can call 222-3300 starting later this week to reserve their seats and get Playoff Priority.
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