Fight for First

Dec 13, 2018

Storyline

The Tauros host the Aberdeen Wings in their final series before the Christmas break.  The Wings have been the hottest team in the Central Division with a 7-3-0 record while the Tauros have fallen from first to third by going 5-4-1 over the same span.  After the two game set the Tauros will be off until December 28th when they take on the Bismarck Bobcats in Bismarck.

Tauros

David Raisanen used a three-point weekend against the Bobcats to pull even with Keenan Lund for the team lead with 23 points apiece.  The Tauros, along with Johnstown, are the only two teams in the league with at least four 10-goal scorers in Raisanen, Taylor Lantz, Didrik Henbrant, and Fritz Belisle.  Overall the Tauros rank fifth scoring 3.52 goals-per-game but have fallen to 11th overall defensively allowing 2.70 goals-per-game.

Against Aberdeen Wilmer Skoog leads the Tauros with four points on two goals and two assists.  Lund and Nick Strom each have three assists against the Wings.  In net Ben Garrity has a .925 SV% against the Wings while Nicholas Grabko has a .922.

Wings

Aberdeen has scored the second most goals in the NAHL with 101, however 51 of those goals have come in eight combined games against bottom dwelling Brookings and Chippewa.  So while the Wings average 4.04 goals-per-game on the season they average 6.38 goals per game against Brookings and Chippewa and 2.94 goals-per-game against everyone else.  Jonathan Bendorf leads the Wings with 30 points on the season, followed by Nic Sicoly’s 25 and then Brad Belisle, Joe Strada, and Dalton Weigel with 22 points each.

Matt Vernon has played 22 of the Wings’ 25 games (including all four against the Tauros) posting a 16-4-2 record with a 2.35 GAA and .926 SV%.  John Sladic leads the Wings against the Tauros with five points on a goal and four assists.  Bendorf and Riley Murphy each have a team best 3 goals against the Tauros through the previous four meetings.

Tickets and Promotions

Thursday night’s game is a $5 ticket night, tickets are available through the “Tickets” tab atop this page.  This weekend is also Ag Appreciation Weekend sponsored by Dakota Agronomy Partners, Gooseneck Implement, United Agronomy, and Western Agency.