By Sean Williams, www.gotauros.com
Minot, N.D. – As we get deeper into December and we are seeing more of a shake up in the Central Division standings, one thing continues to remain the same and that involves the Minot Minotauros being able to hold on to the first-place spot. After a sweep of the Austin Bruins last weekend, the Tauros have a record of 19-6-1 with 39 points on the season, which gives them a five-point edge over the now second place Bismarck Bobcats.
This weekend, the Tauros will be back at home after being on the road for two weeks as they welcome the North Iowa Bulls to the Pepsi Rink at 7:35 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The 2023 season has brought forth different storylines and results for these teams, as the Bulls currently sit in sixth place in the Central Division with 14 points and a record of 6-18-0. Additionally, the Bulls have lost five in a row and have a record of 1-7-0-2 over their last 10 games heading into the weekend, while the Tauros have won two in a row and have a record of 7-3-0 over their last 10 games.
Friday marks the beginning of the third series between these teams in 2023, and so far, it’s been all Minot. The Tauros currently have a perfect 4-0 record against the Bulls where one sweep occurred at home and the other on the road. In those four games, the Tauros have had no shortage of scoring and are averaging 3.5 goals per game, and they have paired that with excellent defense and goaltending by allowing just 0.75 goals per game.
Head coach Cody Campbell has utilized his depth in net against the Bulls and it has worked out well. In two games each against the Bulls, James Norton has stopped 32/33 shots and put together one shutout, while Brady James has stopped 43/45 shots and allowed just one goal in each game. Offensively, the Bulls have struggled to find answers for Jack O’Hanisain, Will Dawson, and Joel Lehtinen. O’Hanisain’s five goals is more than the total of three goals that North Iowa has scored against Minot this year, while Dawson and Lehtinen’s three goals apiece ties that total.
In addition to those three, Colby Woogk, Niklas Ketonen, and Pavol Funtek have all struck pay dirt and helped the Tauros in the scoring department against North Iowa. For the Bulls, they have spread out the scoring by getting goals from three different players in Ethan Lindahl, Jordan Newpower, and Hayden Siegel. Although the season series has been one sided so far, Dylan Johnson of North Iowa put together a strong game in net during the last series, where he held the Tauros to just two goals and stopped 40/42 shots during a busy Friday night.
Saturday night’s game is the annual SCHEELS Teddy Bear Toss, where fans are encouraged to bring a new or gently used stuffed animal and throw it to the ice when the Tauros score their first goal of the night. The stuffed animals are then distributed to a number of causes around the Minot community, including the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Project Bee, Minot PD, Path ND, and more. Tickets for both games are available in the Tauros Hockey Tauros Hockey Mobile App, through the “Tickets” tab atop this page, or by visiting the Tauros ticketing site.