Despite a slow start, the Lloydminster Bobcats would later find their footing and send the Bobcats faithful home happy from the Centennial Civic Centre Saturday night.
The Cats used a three goal second period flurry en route to doubling-up the Calgary Mustangs 4-2.
Coming off of a 5-3 loss Friday night in Sherwood Park, the Mustangs appeared set to reverse their fortune in Lloydminster.
Just over five minutes into the game, Eric Lamire entered the Bobcats zone on a 2-on-1 and fired a slap-shot past Pierce Diamond for a 1-0 lead. Former Bobcat Daniel Rybarik received an assist on the goal.
The Mustangs carried the 1-0 advantage into the first intermission, further extending the Lloydminster goalless drought.
However, shortly after the drought hit 150 minutes, Zach Kaiser put the Bobcats back on even ground. The Orangeville, Ontario product deflected home a Tyler Lowe point shot to tie the game. In his Bobcat’s debut, Jacob Tibbatts also received an assist on the play.
Kaiser’s goal suddenly opened the flood gates for the home-side.
Just over one minute later Shawn Harke scored his first ever goal as a Bobcat to give Lloydminster a 2-1 lead, before Tibbatts also get his first goal as a Cat four and a half minutes after that to make it 3-1.
The Mustangs would reply late in the middle frame to trim the lead back to one.
Again it was Rybarik helping to set up a Calgary goal.
The 18-year old found Tanner Klassan in the slot on an odd man rush, who beat Diamond five-hole.
Leading 3-2 after two, the Bobcats held on to their one goal advantage through the third, before Kaiser sealed the game with his second goal of the night, sliding the puck into the empty Calgary goal.
In the end both teams fired 33 shots, with Pierce Diamond making 31 saves for Lloydminster and Joey May turning aside 29 shots for the Stangs.
Neither team was able to generate a power-play goal, with the Bobcats finishing 0 for 5 and the Mustangs going 0 for 4.
Next up for the Bobcats is a trip to Whitecourt on Friday to battle the Wolverines, before visiting the Grand Prairie Storm on Saturday.
