Bismarck, Aberdeen win Thanksgiving match-ups

Minot 0 @ Bismarck 2 - Aaron Nelson locked down his first junior shutout and the Bismarck Bobcats flexed their defensive muscles Thursday, halting the Minot Minotauros 2-0 on Thanksgiving at the VFW Sports Center.  With the win, the Bobcats ran their win streak to six and remained perfect in three home games on Thanksgiving. It was a quick first period volley from the Bobcats offense that carried the day before the goalies locked down.  Donald Olivieri scored his eighth of the year, making a deft deke to his left on a 1-on-2 rush, splitting the Minot defense and snapping a low shot across his body that beat Tauros goalie Jake Hebda inside the far post 4:49 into the game for a 1-0 Bobcat lead.  Castan Sommer followed Olivieri’s strike with his 15th of the season, creating his own breakaway after a defensive zone steal and ripping a snap shot past Hebda’s blocker to push the lead to 2-0 in favor of the home side with 2:47 left in the opening frame.  For Nelson, a Bismarck native, the shutout came as a bit of a relief with many relatives in the stands for Thanksgiving.  Hebda took the hard-luck loss, stopping 43 shots but slipping to 2-11-0 on the 2011-12 season. Boxscore

Austin 2 @ Aberdeen 3 - Steve Obarzanek continued his hot goal scoring streak by scoring twice, including the game-winning goal as Aberdeen Wings defeated the Austin Bruins at home, 3-2.  Joseph Mottiqua scored the other goal for Aberdeen in the win.  Frederick Leisner made 29 saves in the win for the Wings.  Boxscore