The Lloydminster Bobcats traveled North Friday evening, nothing new for the Border City club. This time however they were traveling North to Onion Lake for a neutral site home game at the Onion Lake First Nation Memorial Communiplex, something very new, and they brought a bus full of fans along for what would stand to be a very exciting game.
Action was high paced early on in this AJHL North Division match up against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Those Oil Barons would start the scoring off midway through period 1 when Josh Zinger would handcuff Dias between the pipes with a quality shot just over the right pad. Early in period 2 – shortly after the home sides first power play ended – Mack Stewart would turn on a back hand in a net front scramble and even the scoring with his 5th of his rookie campaign. Over the next 20 minutes of game play the MOB would regain and then extend their lead to 3-1 just a couple minutes into the third.
Then things got interesting. Chance Adrian (6th) pounced on a puck in the low slot and brought the Cats within 1 again. The goal was subject of some debate with Morrow having been pushed into the goaltender Cameron Beson but officials ultimately deciding the goal would stand. Then just 12 seconds later Gunner Kinniburgh would find Alex Danis sneaking behind the defense and hit him with a pass direct on the tape from 60′ away springing Danis into the offensive zone. Moving left to right across the crease Danis looked like seasoned veteran tying the match at three a piece with his second on the year.
With 8 minutes left in regulation an odd scramble beside/behind the Bobcats goal would somehow find the puck sliding just past the line, and the home team was back looking for an equalizer – something they’ve struggled for a number of times this season but they’d already found twice this game.
Fast forward 12 second left in regulation and Josh Dias on the bench for the extra attacker from the 1:40 mark. A scramble in front of Beson resulted in a loose puck and Ty Mossiman being credited with his 10th of the season to tie things with next to no time left in regulation.
Overtime would solve nothing. 6 shooters in the shootout would also come up empty. Shooter number 7 was Chance Adrian who had a goal and 2 assists in regulation. *Hit the rewind button first and look back to the Bobcats overtime win on November 23 against the Storm. In that game Adrian came in on the right side and let go of a bullet to the low left side for the OT winner (Define foreshadowing)*. Fast forward back to Friday night shooter number 7. Adrian carried the puck from center along the right side. The left handed shooter from Dalmeny Saskatchewan let go of a similar crisp wrist shot and beat Beson forcing sudden death for the Oil Barons. You can guess what happened next as Dias catches just enough of the puck to send it wide of the goal and the bench would clear in celebration.
Coach Dube was pleased with the overall effort. Feeling there was some holes after period 1 but a really complete 2nd and then “in the third period we got down but a couple but the resiliency and compete in our guys to find a way to tie it really late just goes to show the amount of character in our room to have no quit. Then a huge one by Chance Adrian in the shootout”. In commenting on the game played in Onion Lake, “to the facility and all the staff there a complete hats off there for everything they did tonight. It was fun to play there and a fun energy and I think they got a pretty good show”.
A busy Saturday for the Bobcats. A mix of players (12) will write their SAT’s and others who will be involved in the Goats Christmas Convoy – where they will be at local grocery stores collecting donations for local food banks. That and a quick practice to prepare them for a rematch of Wednesdays game against the Spruce Grove Saints. They’ll head west of the provincial Capital for a Sunday matinee at 2:00 against the second place team in the AJHL North. You can catch the game on Hockey TV, or the Saints MixLr page.
Next home action comes Wednesday the 11th when they will play host back at the Centennial Civic Centre against the North division rival Bonnyville Pontiacs. If you can’t make it to the rink, you can always catch the action with Shane Tomayer and Tyler Campbell on MixLr or Hockey TV.
Friday’s Thrilling Shootout Win!
