Minot, ND – The Minotauros get their first look at the last team they have yet to play in the Central Division the Aberdeen Wings. After meetings in each of the last four postseasons the Tauros and Wings have developed one of the most heated rivalries in the NAHL. Last season the Tauros were the only team to upset the record setting Wings twice and nearly knocked them out of the playoffs taking them to the limit with overtime in Game Five of the best-of-five Central Semifinal.
This season both teams feature new Head Coaches as the Tauros Shane Wagner advanced to take the same job with Hamline University and former Wings bench boss Scott Langer was hired by the Fargo Force. The teams sit just a point apart in the standings with the Tauros sitting in third with 15 points and the Wings tied with St. Cloud for fourth with 14.
The Tauros have won four of their last five games with their offense opening up after a slow start. Huston Karpman who was just named the NAHL Forward of the Month for October and committed to UConn yesterday has been the catalyst with 16 points over the last nine games. Trevor Stachowiak is on a six game point streak as well with three goals and five assists. Zach Sandy has been in net for each of the Tauros last four wins bringing his record on the season to 4-4-0, his .926 SV% ranks fifth in the league.
While not the juggernaut the Wings have been in the past they are still off to an even 7-7-0 start. They do come to Minot off of the wrong end of a weekend sweep at the hands of the Austin Bruins. Veteran forward Cade Neilson leads the team with 15 points on six goals and nine helpers. Another veteran Jackson Yee also has six goals on the season while Jacob Bosse leads Aberdeen newcomers with 10 points on the season.
The Tauros and Wings play a rare split series, with game one on Thursday night and game two on Saturday afternoon. The series also kicks off the Tauros’ Circle Sanitation “Fill the Bin” coat drive, fans can bring a new or gently used winter coat or other winter weather gear to any home game in November and put them in the Circle Sanitation bins at the entry doors. Tickets for both games are available here or through the “Tickets” tab atop this page.