Blaine, MN – The Minotauros picked up their second win of the season this morning beating the Topeka Roadrunners 5-4 in front of another packed house at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, MN. The Tauros win assured the team of at least a split at the Showcase to start the season.
The Tauros opened the game with their strongest first period of the Showcase, netting three goals including two on the power play. Noah Ganske, who joined the Tauros yesterday, scored the opener at 6:29 of the first with the Tauros on the power play. Alex Frye temporarily drew the Roadrunners even with a goal just 2:19 later.
The Tauros would retake the lead before the end of the period however when David Raisanen and Grant Loven took turns scoring on assists from the other. Raisanen’s goal came first with the teams at even strength and Loven’s came with the Tauros on the power play. The pair had the Tauros ahead 3-1 headed into the locker room for the first intermission.
The second period continues to be a problem for the Tauros however as they surrendered two goals this morning during the middle frame after allowing three the day before. Peter Kollar and Austin McCarthy found the back of the net for the Roadrunners to draw the game even at 3-3 by the mid-point of the period. The Tauros would take a lead into the locker room again though as last night’s hero Colby Enns scored from the top of the right circle to make it 4-3 with just 0:15 remaining in the second.
The lead was short-lived however as Chad Hillebrand scored just 1:26 after the intermission to tie the game once again, this time at 4-4. The rest of the period was fairly even until Simon Sefcik slashed Austin Dollimer’s stick in half sending the Tauros to the power play once again. On the ensuing power play Enns stepped up again firing a blast from the blue line that broke Topeka goaltender Sam Metcalf’s water bottle and restored the Tauros’ one goal lead. From there Jacob Sibell stopped every shot Topeka threw at him and the Tauros went on to win 5-4.
Next up the Tauros take on the Janesville Jets at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, the last day of the NAHL Showcase. Then the Tauros get a rare weekend off before opening up the Pepsi Rink at Maysa Arena on October 6th and 7th against the Kenai River Brown Bears.