The first round of the NAHL Playoffs was wild with three of the higher seed teams losing Game 1. #3 Wenatchee Wild downed #2 Minnesota Wilderness. #4 Minot Minotauros downed the #1 Austin Bruins 8-6 on the road. The #2 Aberdeen Wings in the NAHL Central dropped Game 1 to the #3 Bismarck Bobcats on Friday 4-2.
The Odde Ice Center was jam packed with Aberdeen Wings fans, a very energetic crowd. The first period would see a very physical style of play. At the 3:39 mark, Bismarck would score on the power play making it 1-0, goal from Evan Geisler. At the 4:05 mark, a charging call would be made on Bismarck’s Sekesi after delivering a mid-ice hit to Wings defenseman #20 Dillon Eichstadt (D-Bemidji, MN). The hit would take Eichstadt out of the game. At the 5:38 mark, on the power play, Wings forward #11 TJ Roo (F-Coon Rapids, MN) would score with assists from #4 Jake Horton (D-Plymouth, MN) and #21 Bjorn Sigurdarson (F-Reykjavik, Iceland). The Wings and Bobcats would evenly share a total of 8 penalties in the first period as it would end 1-1.
For the second period, Bobcats forward Evan Geisler would continue to shine with a goal at the 6:17 mark and another at the 14:55 mark. The final goal for Geisler would solidify a hat-trick for him in the game. At the 16:01 mark, Bobcats forward Filip Starzynski would score giving Bismarck the 4-1 lead.
Early in the third period, the Wings would get another goal on the board from forward #8 Drew Doyon (F-Indianapolis, IN) with assists from #12 Austin Heakins (F-Mars, PA) and #22 Zach Doerring (F-Chanhassen, MN). The Wings would try a late surge in the third, but would come up short losing Game 1 of the best-of-five series, 4-2 to the Bobcats.
BUTLER-CAT HIT OF THE GAME
Aberdeen – #18 Austin Swingle (F-Sartell, MN)
SOUTH DAKOTA WHEATGROWERS STARS OF THE GAME
3RD STAR – #11 TJ Roo (F-Coon Rapids, MN)
2ND STAR – #4 Jake Horton (D-Plymouth, MN)
1ST STAR – #8 Drew Doyon (F-Indianapolis, IN)
The Aberdeen Wings take on the Bismarck Bobcats for Game 2 of Round 1 at the Odde Ice Center. General admission tickets are available at the doors at 5:00pm. Get your Wings gear at the Wings ProShop and enjoy happy hour beer specials. The #1 rated show in the NAHL kicks off at 7:00pm with a puckdrop at 7:15pm.