Bison victorious at home on Military Appreciation Night

BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington Bison secured its first franchise victory at home during Friday night’s Military Appreciation Night at Grossinger Motors Arena against the Kalamazoo Wings.

Despite getting outshot 12-6 in the first period, the Bison were the first to strike on the score sheet, courtesy of a shot from Sahil Panwar via assists from Eddie Matsushima and Case McCarthy. The goal marks Panwar’s first goal of the season.

Before the start of the second period, the Bison organization celebrated a group of enlistees as they took their military oath enlistment.

The Bison would double up with another goal in the second period, courtesy of Blake McLaughlin with assists from Jake Murray and Linus Hemstrom.

Back-to-back infractions left the Bison down two men for the final 90 seconds of the period. Kalamazoo would capitalize with Zach Okabe scoring the team’s lone goal of the night via assists from Ayden MacDonald and Jaden Shields with 39 seconds left in the period. The goal marks Okabe’s third goal of the season.

The Bison were able to kill the penalty that rolled over into the third period and another partially through the third period.

The Bison were able to secure one final goal by McLaughlin with an empty netter, his second of the night, with less than a minute remaining in the game.

Bison goaltender Mark Sinclair stopped 21 shots to secure his third game of the team’s inaugural season. On the other side of the ice, the Wings tender Jonathan Lemieux stopped 14 shots.

The Bison were 1-for-2 on the power play while killing two of three penalties. Kalamazoo outshot the Bison 22-17 in the entire game.

“I underestimated what a challenge it would be to bring 25 guys together that have never played, try and install a system with a new hockey op staff, and you know it’s just been. You know what they say, patience is a virtue,” said Bison coach Phillip Barski.

The Bison go on the road tomorrow as they face off the Iowa Heartlanders at 6:00 p.m.

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Jake Leonard, Executive Editor-In-Chief

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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