By Andrew Lennox, www.minotauroshockey.com Minot, N.D. – In a season marked by numerous records, the Minot Minotauros kicked off the playoffs with a historic performance, netting a franchise-best nine goals in a commanding 9-1 victory over the Austin Bruins in Game 1 of the first round of the Robertson Cup Playoffs.
7:34 into the opening period, Minot took a 1-0 lead as Niklas Ketonen grabbed the rebound off his own wrist shot and then scored from a tough angle coming out of the corner. Ketonen would strike just three minutes later with his second marker of the evening. Jack O’Hanisian and Joel Lehtinen earned the assists. Before heading into intermission, John Small capitalized on a Bruins neutral zone turnover and then passed to Ian Spencer as he charged into the offensive zone. Spencer would then find the back of the net, giving the Tauros a 3-0 lead.
Minot’s offensive onslaught continued into period two as Colby Bear skated hard towards the net with the puck on his backhand. He then made a perfect pass to Spencer, who was positioned in the slot. Spencer swiftly sniped the top corner on Bruins goalie Trent Weimken, with 12:57 remaining. Austin’s Will Diamond scored just 1:26 later on the power play, making it 4-1. The score would soon change to 5-1 at the period’s 10:46 mark, with Nick Sewecke scoring on the man advantage for his first of the evening. Joel Lehtinen and Ketonen logged the assists. Four minutes later, the Tauros were again on the power play, and Sewecke netted his second marker with a brilliant defection. Colby Woogk and O’Hanisian were credited with the assists.
The Tauros continued to assert their dominance in the final 20 minutes of regulation, scoring three more goals. On a rare 2-0 shorthanded chance, Captain Trevor Stachowiak, displaying his leadership, tucked in a rebound from a Sewecke shot midway through the final frame. Cayden Casey, maintaining the team’s scoring momentum, kept the party going at 11:22 of the period, with Weston collecting the helper. Soon after, Ty James tallied Minot’s ninth goal of the contest with Spencer grabbing the assist. Neither team scored again in a penalty-filled affair in which the Tauros clearly dominated from start to finish.
Next, Minot will once again host Austin for Game 2 on Saturday at the Pepsi Rink in Maysa Arena, kicking off at 7:35 PM.