By Colin Budd
It was about the type of game you’d expect when you get far and away the top two defensive teams in the Dodge Division. Scoring opportunities were hard to come by in the Lloydminster Tanroc Bobcats and St. Albert Raiders 2-2 draw Saturday night.
Toss in the fact that it’s a battle for first place and the game took on a playoff-like intensity with hard physical play and courageous shot blocking (just ask Jordyn Wozniak) and chances – let alone goals – were at a premium.
“All of our games have been like that lately. Two teams with great goaltending and the depth they have on that team is remarkable,” said coach Kyle Tapp after the game, which saw his team finish without Wozniak, who left the game after blocking a point shot in the third, Ambrose Firkus and leading scorer Jetlan Houcher, who was basically limited to power plays the second half of the night.
The Bobcats actually appeared to be in a position to squeeze out a couple of points and pull even with the Raiders in the standings when Houcher slid a Derek Pfisterer rebound past Raiders’ goaltender Liam Liston with 4:24 remaining.
After a Raiders’ penalty with 4:10 left, it looked like the ‘Cats were in the drivers’ seat, but somehow Evan Hnatiuk’s wrist shot from well out eluded Tyler Briggs with 4:03 to go.
It was the second lucky goal the Raiders scored as their first was scored after Raiders’ forward Brendan McCalpin’s initial breakaway shot was stopped by Briggs only to have the rebound bank of his stomach area and into the net.
“We felt robbed, actually,” said Tapp, whose team held the Raiders to just two shots in the third. “Stuff happens, but we definitely believed we deserved two points.”
The Bobcats came out of the gates tentative, weathering an early storm that saw them not pick up their first shot until around the 10-minute mark.
“As a program we have never been here,” said assistant coach Dean Moisan.
“Christmas, first place battle, we had a bunch of nervous kids in the dressing room before the game. I think it showed in the first 10 minutes, we really didn’t play our systems really well.”
They rebounded and by the third period were dictating the play, giving up just a pair of shots in the final frame.
Maybe the only real negative was the power play. Which struggled at times to get set up and gave up two shorthanded goals, but it’s something the coach says comes with their territory of a full out philosophy.
“We preach the power play is the time to be aggressive. One less guy for them, so it’s the time to take chances,” said Tapp.
The ‘Cats play their last league game of 2009 when they host the South Side Athletic Club Athletics on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Loose pucks … F Braden Crone scored the Bobcats’ first goal. It was his sixth of the season … The Raiders outshot the Bobcats 4-0 in the first 10 minutes of the first period. The Bobcats responded by outshooting the Raiders 4-0 in the second half. Both teams had 10 shots in the second … The Bobcats found out they will be playing in Pool 5 at the Mac’s Midget Tournament with the Calgary Northstars, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, Tisdale Trojans and Vancouver NE Chiefs.
Photo Caption: Forward Brody Pollard and the Tanroc Bobcats picked up a hard fought 2-2 tie against the St. Albert Raiders Saturday night at the Civic Centre. – Colin Budd Photo