Transition Goals Cost Bobcats against Jackalopes
BLAINE, MN – The Bismarck Bobcats could not contain the odd-man rushes of the Odessa Jackalopes, giving up two goals in transition amid a 3-2 loss Friday at the Schwan Super Rink.
Playing even with the Jacks through the entire first period, the Bobcats fell behind on a fluky bounce, after goalie David Fessenden denied Odessa’s Cooper Zech on a 2-on-1; when the rebound bounced to Eric Carreras, Bobcat center Aaron Herdt blocked Carreras’ shot but the puck pinballed off Herdt’s pads and into the net with 35 seconds left to put the Cats down 1-0 after one.
Odessa extended the lead to 2-0 with 5:28 to go in the second on the power play when a 50-foot slap shot from Jake Levin deflected off the leg of Brandon Tucker and in past Fessenden.
Just 11 seconds later, Aaron Herdt tallied his team-best fourth goal for the Cats, pulling the designated away side within one at 2-1 with a low snap shot under the glove of Odessa netminder Dean Shatzer.
Tucker, however, put the Jackalopes back up by two a mere 41 seconds into the third, cashing in a 2-on-1 with Hampus Sjodahl to extend the Odessa advantage to 3-1.
A bizarre sequence pulled it back to a one-score game for the Cats, when Willie Brown poked a loose puck into the net, but immediately had the goal waved. The referees huddled together, however, and after an extended discussion awarded Brown the power play goal with 5:47 left in regulation.
Moments later, Jared Pike nearly equalized, zipping a wrist shot through traffic that beat Shatzer high stick side, but rang hard off the crossbar and harmlessly to the wall.
Despite pulling Fessenden for the extra attacker in the final minute, Odessa tied up the puck long enough to prevent any scoring chances for the Bobcats, ending the game 3-2.
Fessenden made 24 saves in his NAHL debut but could not avoid the loss. Shatzer stopped 33 shots—including 17 in the third period—for his first win of the season.
The Bobcats will close out the Easton NAHL Showcase Saturday with a 3:00pm clash with the former division-rival Coulee Region Chill.
Saturday’s Showcase finale 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 7:00pm.
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.