The Bobcats managed to gain a point tonight as they lost in a shoot-out, 5-4 SO final score. Bobcats collected 3 out of a possible 4 points this weekend at home vs. Drayton Valley Thunder.
Bobcats got right back at it on Saturday night at home against the Drayton Valley Thunder, Bobcats coming off a 1-0 overtime win thanks to Austin McDonald’s game winner and Sean Kuehn’s 23 save shut-out. The third place 17-13-3 Bobcats had established a three point lead over 4th place Whitecourt Wolverines and were looking for more points to separate themselves from the pack. The Drayton Valley Thunder had lost 8 games in a row, having not won a game since November 13, sitting in last place in the North Division.
Drayton Valley would get on the board first, Nathan Smith put the Thunder ahead 1-0 just 10 seconds in. The visiting team would get another 5 minutes later Brett Smythe put Drayton Valley up 2-0. But the Bobcats would get back into the game on the power-play, Tanner Dunkle, shot from the slot goes five-hole to make it 2-1 Bobcats. After a short delay as the teddy bear’s flew onto the ice, play resumed. Drayton Valley would get their 2 goal lead back, Douglas Morris made it 3-1. Before the period would end Braden Crone would get the Bobcats back within 1, on the power-play, capitalizing on a scramble in front of the net. After 20 minutes, 3-2 Drayton Valley.
Late in the second period, Tanner Dunkle evened it up, on the doorstep makes no mistake for his second of the night. Bobcats managed to get 18 shots at Thunders’ Mitch Martell, who was making his second start in as many days. 3-3 after two periods.
Third period the Drayton Valley Thunder would once again regain the lead, on the power-play, Braden Jakubowski made it 4-3 with plenty of time left in the period. Bobcats answer, Patrick Geary would tee one up, with traffic in front of the net, 4-4 hockey game. For the second night in a row these two needed overtime to settle their differences.
Both sides had chances in the extra period, but were unable to capitalize, this one needed a shoot-out. Cole Porter and Tanner Dunkle would be stopped while the Thunder score on both of their first two attempts, Bobcats fall 2-0 in the shoot-out, Drayton Valley wins 5-4 OT. Bobcats gain a point and move to 17-13-4, and remain in 3rd place in the North Division standings with 38 points. Tanner Dunkle had a 3 point night while Devin Green made 21 saves.
GM/Coach Garry Vanhereweghe says they were put behind the 8-ball right off the bat tonight, “when you allow the team to score in 10 seconds, and they come back and get another one on the second shot, when you’re down 2-0 on 2 shots you’ve put yourself in a hole and try to dig yourself out, I think we were doing that all night long. Both team’s competed harder than they did last night.”
Next up the Bobcats visit the Bonnyville Pontiacs to take on their rivals on Tuesday, December 10th then the next night the Bobcats play their last game at home in the 2013 calendar year on Wednesday, December 11th against the Spruce Grove Saints at 7:30 PM at the Centennial Civic Centre.