Bonnyville Pontiacs vs Lloydminster Bobcats Sat Oct. 5, 2019
Written by: Tyler Campbell
If the Lloydminster Bobcats didn?t have bad luck, they?d have no luck at all. At least that?s what it feels like at the moment. Both games from this past weekend, the Bobcats gave a terrific effort. Both games were up for grabs. But even more so on Saturday night, the Cats did everything right and just couldn?t get the bounce that they needed, falling to the Bonnyville Pontiacs by a score of 2-1.
This was easily the most intense game we?ve seen at the Centennial Civic Centre this season, as it was fast and physical all night. Playing their 3rd game in four nights, nobody would blame the Bobcats if they started to show fatigue as the game went on, especially with how it was being played. But it was quite the opposite and the Cats put up one heck of a fight. The Pontiacs were the ones who opened the scoring at the 4:35 mark of the 1st period thanks to their now league best power play unit as it was Jeremy Gervais sneaking down low from the point, taking a good feed from Thomas Kramer and burying it to put the Pontiacs up 1-0. The Bobcats would respond at 11:09 of the period as Kris Bladen, fresh out of the penalty box, forced the hand of Pontiacs netminder Noah Amundson who was out to play the puck and ended up playing it onto the stick of Ty Mosimann who ripped it home and tie the game at 1. The Pontiacs would get that one back before the period was done however, this time on a 5 on 3 as Kash Rasmussen would put home the rebound from a Jeremy Gervais shot at 15:40 to give the Pontiacs a 2-1 lead heading to the intermission.
From the 2nd period on, the Bobcats really took over the hockey game. They did a great job of staying out of the box while upping their forecheck and physical game that had the Pontiacs frustrated throughout the final two frames. They would receive a 5 on 3 advantage of their own in the 2nd, but were unable to capitalize as Amundson held the fort in the Bonnyville goal. In the 3rd period we saw more of the same from the Cats as they really poured it on. In the final minute of play, it appeared as though they had finally broke through to tie it as a Chance Adrian shot from the high slot slowly snuck through Amundson, however the lead official had blown the play dead before the puck trickled through and into the net. The Bobcats were unable to get another opportunity and the Pontiacs escaped with the 2-1 victory.
While disappointed with the loss, head coach Nigel Dube is getting excited over the progression he?s seeing from his young club. ?I liked our puck movement, I liked how we played a physical and strong hockey game that was clean, and it?s just a matter of getting one to go and getting us over the hump.? With not much time to dwell on the weekend, Dube will shift his focus to the Drumheller Dragons on Tuesday afternoon whom the Cats lost a 3-2 heartbreaker in OT to at Showcase. ?We?ll make a couple of adjustments (from the last game vs Drumheller), but I think the emotions from our guys is going to be there. It?s another chance to take a step in the right direction, and when you have 1500 kids there screaming and yelling for 2 hours straight, it?s going to bring a buzz to the arena. And I think that after these two games we?re going to have some fans come to the arena to see what Tuesday holds too.?
It is imperative for the Bobcats to keep their heads held high at this point in their season. While it?s been a rough start, the improvement has been very noticeable to where they play two games this weekend where they deserved at least two points, and perhaps all four. Five of their last six loses have been by a goal. As for the game Tuesday vs Drumheller, emotions are likely to be high not only because of the crowd but the injury that was sustained by Bobcats forward Tyler Schendel the last time these two teams met. The Cats will without a doubt be looking to win this one for Schendel.
Work is simply the worst as you know, so why not take an extra-long lunch break on Tuesday and head to the Civic Centre to check out the showdown between the Bobcats and Dragons?! Or if you feel you better not go out in public if you?re skipping out on work, Shane Tomayer and myself will have the action for you on Hockey TV and on the MixLR app. Puck drop is at 12PM.