The Lloydminster Bobcats and Bonnyville Pontiacs finished the weekend splitting the first two games of the first round best of seven series.
The Bobcats opened the weekend in Bonnyville with a 6 – 2 win over the home team. The Lloydminster team kept the Pontiacs off the scoreboard for the first two periods, heading into the third period with a 3 – 0 lead. The Pontiacs found the back of the Bobcat’s net on the power play in the first 3:48 of the third. The Bobcats responded by scoring two in a row before the Pontiacs would find the net for the second and last time in the game. With 27 seconds left in the third, the Bobcats would bury the puck one last time, leading to the 6 – 2 win.
Game two was a different story Saturday as the Pontiacs walked away with the win. The first period saw the hometown team score the only goal. The Pontiacs dominated the second period putting up three goals while continuing to hold the Bobcats off the scoreboard. The Pontiacs led the Bobcats 4 – 0 heading into the third period and would continue to hold the visiting team off the score sheet for the remainder of the game.
Pontiac’s goaltender Bodee Weiss faced 43 shots over the two-game weekend. Bobcats goalie Matthew Suverson faced 69 shots in the five periods he played between the pipes, with Haden Heide facing 15 shots from the home team in the last 20 minutes of the second game.
Games three and four in the best-of-seven series will be in Lloydminster Tuesday and Wednesday, before heading back to Bonnyville for game five on Friday.