On Their Shield

May 4, 2015

by: Ken Oda, minotauroshockey.com

Austin, MN – In the days and weeks to come the Minot Minotauros will look back on this season as a turning point and that will ease the pain of tonight’s Game 5 loss.  While the Tauros lost tonight, the skill and heart they played with all season was on display again as they fought to the final horn.

The Bruins opened the scoring at the 10:17 mark of the first period when Luke Dietsch found a loose rebound and put it past Atte Tolvanen.  Just 2:30 later however Tim Athley drew the Tauros even when he tucked home a Colton Kramer rebound to even the game at 1.  That score would hold as the teams went to the room after the first 20 minutes.

The Tauros controlled the play for the first half of the second period, but could not punch one past Bruins keeper Jake Kielly. Then at 10:16 of the period, Nico Sturm beat Tolvanen when he redirected a Brian Bachnak shot over the Tauro goalie to give the Bruins a lead.  2:11 later Josh Wilkins scored his third goal of the series with a power play tally when he was left alone at the side of the net.  Trevor Boyd then finished the Bruins scoring when he put a rebound past Tolvanen at the end of a two on one rush.

 

The Tauros entered the final period trailing 4-1, but pushed back almost immediately.  Nick Monfils started the comeback with a goal just 3:38 into the final frame when he found a loose puck on a netmouth scramble and tucked it home.  Johnny Walker finished a nice passing play from Jon Lizotte and Jake Howie just 2:37 later and the Tauros had cut the lead to 4-3 with 13:45 to play.  The pressure continued from the Tauros with several chances throughout the third including four in the final 1:25 with the Tauros on the power play but the Tauros could not find the fourth goal to complete the comeback.  

 

The loss ends the Tauros season as the lose the Central Division Final three games to two.  Despite the loss this was without a doubt the most successful of the Tauros four seasons.  The 2014/15 Tauros set a new standard for success that future Tauros teams will be measured by.  There is not much down time, the Tauros pre-draft camp is just over three weeks away to kick off the off summer.  Stay tuned to minotauroshockey.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the Tauros summer news.