Bralin Technology Solutions Recap

It was a fantastic weekend to be around the Centennial Civic Center.  Coming into it the Bobcats had points in 7 straight games.  A tumultuous start to the season is well in the rearview and nothing but positivity surrounds the team.  What better time to have the annual family weekend.  Bobcats players welcomed their families to Lloydminster to celebrate the season, and lifelong bonds formed through the game responsible for uniting us all.  Players had families visit from as far East as New Maryland New Brunswick and as far West as Richmond, BC.  Most arrived in the city just hours before the ground became blanketed in white.  Perfect timing.

Friday they played host to the number 2 team in the AJHL south division – the Calgary Canucks.  After the first period it looked like it may have been a somber reunion for players and their families.  The Bobcats certainly lost the period outshot 12-5 and outscored 1-0.  However the home side showed what they’ve shown a number of times this season – resiliency.  After 40 minutes they found themselves ahead 3-2 with goals from local Teague McAllister x 2 and New Brunswikian Gus El-Tahhan.  Early in the third Calgary evened the score at 3 but the Bobcats simply refused to relent, adding three more goals from Zhou (Richmond, BC), Hikida (Richmond, BC) and Moore (Red Deer, AB).

Coach Woywitka talked about the first period post game and that the team looked tentative through the first 20.  They were simply not playing the type of hockey that has brought so much success over the last 2 months.  But he was thoroughly  pleased with the turnaround through the final 40, recognizing his team’s resilience and also offering credit to Kaiden Kirkwood for keeping the Cats in it through the opening 20 and giving them a chance to turn things around.

All told, coming back from a bad first period made the 6-3 win all the more impressive.

Game two would offer similar competition.  The Dragons came in smiling from a shutout vs the Pontiacs in Bonnyville Friday night.  The Bobcats and Dragons are very similar in makeup and result.  Both fighting in the middle of their respective divisions.  Both teams are built around physical play and a strong north/south game. Pregame coach Woywitka emphasized the importance of discipline against the Dragons, acknowledging how stingy the Dragons typically are and that his squad would need to be tough on pucks and could not afford to give a period away the way they had on Friday.

Good teams listen to good coaches and that’s exactly what the Bobcats did. Kael Screpnek (Calgary, Ab) scored his second and third of the season in the first period.  Added to by Kaiden Wiltsie (Calgary, Ab) whose 9th of the year helped solidify a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.  Play was physical in all zones.  Matthew Hikida was at the center of much of it.  Never one to shy away from physical play he took a high stick, off a face off early in the period, before being the recipient of a questionable hit in the last half of the period.  Both instances saw Hikida getting some attention from AT Taylor Smith.  The first incident will also have him reason to visit Wayside Dental in the near future.  The second resulted in the ejection of Tate Yule – brother of Cats forward Wyatt Yule (Gleichen, AB).

As mentioned the Dragons are quite similar to the Cats.  So as the Cats would not lay down after giving up a period Friday the Dragons were not content after losing the first on Saturday.  Midway through a physical period Drumheller fought back to within 1.  But Jack Birch (Edmonton, Ab) scored from the top of the right circle on the powerplay to re-establish the 2 goal Bobcat lead after 40

A physical first 40 turned into what almost seemed spiteful in the third.  The action on the ice seemed as though these were two long established divisional rivals.  The Dragons scored twice in the third but it would not be enough.  Bobcats Captain Jamie Weller (Calgary, Ab) scored his first of the season with what he regarded as maybe the nicest goal of his 165 game AJHL career to date.  Out of the penalty box on a successful kill he came in off the blueline on the left side and the left handed shot drove the puck under the crossbar on the near side.  While the Dragons scored their second of the period 5 minutes later with their goalie pulled for the extra attacker,  Wellers goal would stand as the game winner.

The game was seemingly far from over at that point.  The physical play continued right down to the wire, keeping fans engaged.  As the final buzzer rang tempers flared, while fists and bodies flew.  Frustration seemed to overwhelm the visitors while the clock rounded out to zero.  All it served to do however was excite the fans and cap off what was an excellent weekend of hockey in the border city.

Next action for the Cats comes November 29 when they will face off against the second place team in the North Division at home for an important 4 point contest.  For what it’s worth the Bobcats will face the Dragons again February 8th.