By: Ken Oda, minotauroshockey.com
Blaine, MN – The Minotauros earned their first win of the season this afternoon on Day Two of the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, MN. The game was certainly not the Tauros prettiest effort but the overtime thriller against the Coulee Region Chill went the right way when Colby Enns finished it on an end-to-end rush.
Just as in yesterday’s game against the Shreveport Mudbugs the Tauros went into the locker room in a scoreless tie after one period of play. Unlike the day before it was the other team that struck first when Brandon Koch scored 1:29 into the middle frame. Three minutes later the Chill doubled their lead when Jacob Dirks found a loose puck on a net-mouth scrum and roofed it over Jacob Robbel. Then late in the second Jesper Solomon-Frisell scored on a three-on-one rush to give the Chill a seemingly comfortable 3-0 cushion headed into the third.
The Tauros pressured early in the third but saw little for their effort through the first nine minutes. Miroslav Mucha finally broke through for the Tauros when he tucked home a Landyn Cochrane rebound at 11:11 of the final period. Just over two minutes later Austin Dollimer stole the puck at the defensive blue-line and started a two-on-one rush the other way. Dollimer found David Raisanen who fired a shot past Emil Zetterquist to pull the Tauros within one with 6:30 to play.
The Tauros would threaten but could not draw even until Alex Adams, with the Tauros net empty, finished a pass from Colby Enns on the Tauros 23rd shot of the third period. The goal was Adams’ second of the season and drew the Tauros even with 1:11 left to play. The game went into overtime and with just 1:04 left in the extra session Enns took the puck in his own zone and carried it into the Chill end. He made a jump cut around a defender and while partially tied up managed to lift a backhander over the outstretched arm of Zetterquist (highlight) to give the Tauros their first win of the season.
Next up for the Tauros on Day Three of the NAHL Showcase is the Topeka Roadrunners. The Roadrunners fell 6-1 to the New Jersey Titans dropping them to 1-3 on the season. The Roadrunners have been outscored 16-10 in four games this season, including 15-4 in their four losses. The unusual 10:00 a.m. start will be a challenge for both teams especially playing their third game in as many days. The Farmer’s Union Pregame Show starts at 9:45 for the 10:00 a.m. puck drop.