Bismarck, ND- The North Iowa Bulls dropped a tough 1-0 result in the home opener for the Bismarck Bobcats. The first two periods were goalless despite top flight scoring chances for both units. Jack Severson recorded four of North Iowa’s shots on net, but all 22 shot attempts for the Bulls were turned away by Bobcat goaltender Klayton Knapp, who recorded his biggest save on a solo rush by Nolan Grier.
Immediately following that save, the Bobcats sprinted up the ice and capped off a brilliant scoring chance with Bismarck’s captain, Patrick Johnson punching in the game’s only tally. The score was his 4th of the season and came with only 4:24 left on the clock. North Iowa pulled their goalie for the extra attacker but could not find the twine for the equalizer and fell for the fifth straight game.
Bulls goaltender Santo Simmchen played heroically, recording 37 saves on 38 shots faced. The Dresden, Germany, native matched Knapp in a classic goalie duel that thrilled the fans on Bismarck’s home opening night.
North Iowa completes their two game series in Bismarck on Saturday night. Puck drops at the VFW Sports Center at 7:15 PM. All North Iowa Bulls games will be broadcast on NAHLTV.