by: Minotauros Staff, minotauroshockey.com
Another week has passed that the Tauros Coaching staff had a close up look at its future prospects. This time the players that attended practice were from the Minnesota High School Hockey League. Defenseman Colton Budreau and goaltender Robbie Goor both got put through the daily paces and a feel for junior hockey life this past week. With Minotauros having a very strong scouting staff in the Hub of the Minnesota area these two players were on the radar from the early part of the season. With Brandon Wildung graduating because of age and moving on to play for the Mercyhurst Lakers and Merrick Madsen moving on to play for the Harvard Crimson the Tauros will be looking for Goor to fill one of those spots for next year.
Colton Budreau, Elk River, D 23 GP 1 G 10 A 25 PIM
Colton finished his season with Elk River where he had a successful season and played a big defensive role to his team’s success. “Colton is a player that will be looked at to kill penalties and be a strong force on the back end, he was is use to shutting down the opposing teams top lines and we expect him to do the same thing for us next season,” said assistant Coach Nigel Dube. Colton is known for his size as he stands at six feet – two inches and weighs one hundred and ninety eighty pounds. Dube commented on his size, “We put him into battle situations in practice and he has the size to play at this level, he stuck right with our big guys.”
Robbie Goor, Anoka, G 20 GP 2.84 GA .902 SV%
Robbie played his senior year of High School hockey with the Anoka Tornadoes where he was the starting goaltender and played in the bulk of the team’s games. Goor has been on the Minotauros watch since the late part of last season and was monitored very closely as the year progress, the Coaching staff liked what they saw and tendered Goor early after the Christmas season. The Minotauros goaltending coach Cory Lonke got to spend two full practices working with the future prospect and liked what he saw, “He’s a good size kid who fills a good amount of net! He definitely has the foundation to his game that should transfer to the NAHL.”
Tauros Goalies are Special
The Minotauros are known for being a factory of moving goalies on to the next level and that is in large part to do with their goaltending coach Cory Lonke. Tauros hockey is one of the only teams in the North American Hockey League that has the privilege of having a full time goalie coach that works directly with the goalies for the entire season. “We feel very fortunate to have Cory working with our goalies daily. There is no doubt our goalies have benefitted from it and we are very proud of the success our goalies have had the last couple years. Cory's fingerprints are all over that success,” said Head Coach and GM Marty Murray. Lonke has been able to help the goaltending duo of Wildung and Madsen this season and dial in on specific areas that the players believe they need to work on as well as Lonke. Philadelphia draft pick and Harvard committed Madsen said “Coach Lonke has really guided me in becoming explosive in net and simplifying my game play to be effective at both this and the next level” on Coach Lonke.