By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison
Bloomington, IL – The Bloomington Bison tallied a goal in the closing minutes but suffered a loss to the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night at Grossinger Motors Arena with a final score of 2-1.
5:17 into the game, the Komets saw a power play opportunity but could not score. Fort Wayne took the lead at 11:23 as forward Nick Deakin-Poot scored off a rebound from defenseman Darren Brady for his second goal of the season. In concluding the period, the Bison and Komets had seven shots on goal each, with Blake McLaughlin having five shots for the Bison.
In a scoreless second period, Fort Wayne continued to hold the lead. At 4:25, the Bison had their first power play but failed to capitalize on the man advantage. The Bison outshot the Komets by a 9-2 margin in the period.
The Bison saw two power play opportunities in the third period but couldn’t score on either. At 5:25, Komets forward Alex Aleardi scored his ninth goal of the season, extending their lead to 2-0. Aleardi was assisted by defensemen Harrison Rees and Dustyn McFaul. At 16:43, the Bison pulled goalie Yaniv Perets, giving the team an extra attacker. The Bison closed the gap at 16:43 as Connor Lockhart found McLaughlin in the slot for his fifth goal this season. Despite a late surge, the score remained the same, and the Bison fell 2-1.
Perets made 13 saves on 15 shots, taking the loss for the Bison. Brett Brochu secured the win for Fort Wayne, making 27 saves on 28 shots. The Bison outshot the Komets by a 28-15 margin. The Bison went 0-for-3 on the power play and completed the only penalty kill of the game.
The Bison will hold the franchise’s first Teddy Bear Toss tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Grossinger Motors Arena. Following the Bison’s first goal of the game, fans are encouraged to toss new or gently used stuffed animals to the ice that will be collected and donated to local charities. The first 1,000 fans in the arena will receive a Bison-themed Santa hat. Single-game seats are available starting as low as $20. Visit bloomingtonbisonhockey.com or call (309) 965-HERD for more information.
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