By Andrew Lennox, www.minotauroshockey.com Minot, N.D. – After notching a franchise-best nine goals in Game 1 on Friday, the Minot Minotauros, this time, had their hands full with the Austin Bruins in Game 2 on Saturday. Despite a hard-fought contest with back-in-fourth action, the Tauros still came out on top, winning 3-1.
The opening period of Game 2 ended scoreless. Minot and Austin had two power-play opportunities each, but neither team could convert. The Tauros led in shots 13-11 heading into the first intermission.
Into the middle frame, the close-checking contest remained tied 0-0 until Ian Spencer went forehand, backhand, and shelf on the breakaway to beat Bruins’s tender Trent Wiemken with 3:38 left. Colby Woogk provided the stretch pass to send the forward all alone on the Bruins tender. The goal for Spencer was the third he’s scored in the series.
Minot padded their lead to 2-0 with 11:42 left in regulation. Nick Sewecke hammered home a rebound off a soft shot from the point by defenseman Pavol Funtek. Sewecke’s tally was the third he’s notched in the series’ first two games. Austin would split the score to 2-1 with 3:54 remaining as John Hircshfield was credited with the tally for his first of the postseason. Soon after, Austin pulled Wiemken, but unfortunately for the visiting team, Niklas Ketonen scored on the empty net to make it 3-1, giving Minot the victory and a 2-0 series lead.
Next, the Tauros head to Austin for Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Friday at the Riverside Arena starting at 7:05 PM CST.