A slow start in the first period ended up dooming the Wildcats as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Springfield Jr. Blues Friday afternoon. Brett Skibba had a pair of goals while former Wildcat Nate Chasteen had a pair of assists.
The Jr. Blues outshot the Wildcats in the opening period 14-11 as Russell Jordan scored the lone goal, followed by an early power play goal in the second by Cody Dixon, setting the Wildcats back in an early 2-0 deficit.
Ben Kucera tapped a puck home after a great setup by Tyler Ledford, who picked up the puck in his own zone, skated end to end, and fed Kucera at the front of the net for a 2-1 game.
Springfield took over in the third, with Alex Baskakov scoring on a power play, followed by both of Skibba's goals, first via a 2-on-1, then a breakaway for a 5-1 game.
Kyle Bauman added his fourth goal of the season late to get the 'Cats to within three in the final two minutes.
Former Wildcat Matt Leon stopped 35 of 37 Wichita Falls shots in his second game with his new team. The Wildcats face Port Huron Saturday morning at 9 am.
