Minot, ND – The Minotauros host the North Iowa Bulls this weekend as the newest members of the Central Division come north. North Iowa joined the division after leaving Amarillo where they finished in fourth place as members of the South last season. The Tauros meanwhile come in off a win over the Bobcats last Saturday night in front of a pack Maysa Arena crowd.
With eleven returning players from last season’s Amarillo team the North Iowa Bulls are off to a fast start going 3-1-0 at the NAHL Showcase and 2-1-1 since. Offense and goaltending have driven the Bulls posting 3.88 goals/game which ranks fourth in the NAHL while allowing just 2.75 goals/game which is ninth despite ranking 17th in shots allowed at 30.25/game. Ryan Coughlin’s 10 points leads the Bulls this season. In goal Cullen DeYoung, Hunter Garvey, and Carsen Stokes have all shared the net.
The Tauros offense started slow at the NAHL Showcase, however it bounced back since entering divisional play with 14 goals over the last four games. Huston Karpman leads the club with five goals and nine total points. Zack Simon has five points (2g 3a) in three games since joining the Tauros. The Tauros have done well to limit shots against ranking sixth overall in that category keeping teams to just 26 per game.
While the Bulls are new to the Central Division the Tauros have faced them at the NAHL Showcase twice going 1-0-1. Jack Murphy had a two goal game in the Tauros win while Johnny Walker and James LaDouce each had a goal and an assist.
Both Friday and Saturday night’s games start at 7:35, tickets are available here, or by clicking the “Tickets” tab atop this page.