By: Ken Oda, minotauroshockey.com
Minot, ND – As the Minotauros seventh season draws near it is time to start meeting the players heading to Minot for training camp. Camp opens September 3rd and the pre-season opens on September 9th against the Bismarck Bobcats at the Maysa Arena. We continue meeting the team with Ian Doner.
Doner’s name may sound familiar to long tenured Tauro fans, his older brother Ryan posted three goals and an assist in 16 games for the 2012-2013 Tauros. Ryan’s time in Minot is part of the reason Ian wants to be a Tauro, he explained “My brother and dad have always spoke highly of Coach Murray and town of Minot. Seems like the perfect place to play and develop as a hockey player.”
As for the younger Doner, Ian continues the Tauros’ trend of adding size this offseason. He is a 6’3” and 196 lbs. forward who posted 17 goals and 13 assists in 47 NA3HL games last season with the Yellowstone Quake. Tauros Head Coach and General Manager Marty Murray loves Doner’s size and strength siting it as one of the keys to his game, “Ian is a big body that skates well and plays a strong 200′ game. He is very good at protecting the puck down low, and at 6-3, he’s hard to knock off the puck.”
Doner said he tries to play to his size noting that, “I try to model my style of play after Jamie Benn. I try to play the role of a big, but skilled power forward.” Both Murray and Tauros’ Assistant General Manager Chris Lonke pointed to Doner’s season in the NA3HL along with his strong showing at Tauro camps as a reason they believe he can make the jump. “Ian has attended our camp in the last couple of season’s and we are very happy with the way he has progressed. He comes from a strong, well-coached team in Yellowstone in the NA3HL, and we hope he is another success story for us coming out of that league,” said Murray. While Lonke said, “I personally love how he competes and hunts the puck down! He had a very solid year at the NA3 level last year and definitely showed that confidence in our camps this off season.”
Lonke compared Doner to a current Tauro on his way back for a second season, “Reminds me a little of Austin Koss last year at this time and that has worked out pretty darn well!”
Come back tomorrow when we will meet Colby Enns. Do not miss your chance to see Doner and all of the Tauros in action for the first time September 9th at 7:35 at the Maysa Arena when the Bismarck Bobcats come to Minot to open the pre-season.