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Aberdeen, SD – The Minot Minotauros split the opening weekend series with the Aberdeen Wings at the Odde Ice Arena and return to Minot with two points under their belt ahead of the NAHL Showcase this upcoming week. Game 1 Recap Friday’s Opening Night game started out with a pair of special teams goals from Aberdeen. The first came on the power play and the second shorthanded to send the Wings into the first intermission up 2-0. The Tauros responded with a pair of power play goals of their own. Briggs Knott ripped a wrister from the right dot and Philip Wiklund tied the game with a greasy goal in the crease in the waning minutes of the second period to make it 2-2. Early in the 3rd, a five-minute major penalty on Jax Warren set Minot to kill off nearly nine combined minutes of penalties to start the period. They successfully killed off a brief 5-on-3 and then the rest of the major penalty. However, Wings forward Jonathan Doucette scored halfway through the period to make it 3-2 Aberdeen. A late penalty on Minot in the final minutes prevented much of a push and the Wings took the first game 3-2. Game 2 Recap Saturday’s game started completely different from the night before. The Tauros came out firing and got a defenseman rush goal from Michael Solominsky and a lucky bounce off the stanchion that caromed to Luca Kataja, who potted the second goal on the power play to make it 2-0 Minot after 20 minutes. The Tauros got back to work with an unassisted goal in the 2nd from Shawn Swavely, who won the offensive zone faceoff forward to himself, smacked a shot off the pads of the goalie, grabbed his own rebound, and wrapped it around the back door for a great individual effort third goal. Will Nolan added on not long after on another great individual effort, getting his own rebound and beating the goaltender to the far post on a wrap-around to make it 4-0 Minot. In the final two minutes of the 2nd, Aberdeen got on the board, cashing in on a power play with a shot from the blue line through traffic from their captain, Price Grimes. Not even a minute later, the Wings scored a second goal to cut the deficit and make it a two-goal lead once again. With about 8 minutes left in the 3rd, Aberdeen pulled within a goal and started applying some late pressure in an effort to tie the game. After pulling their goalie, a tripping penalty with 8 seconds left set up Aberdeen for an offensive zone draw in a 6-on-4 situation. They won the faceoff, but the following shot fluttered wide and the Tauros were able to pinch the puck behind the goal to hang on for the dramatic 4-3 win in the weekend finale. The Minotauros now prepare for three games in four days at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota which starts Wednesday, September 23rd at 1pm CT against the Elmira Aviators. Watch every Minotauros game live on NATV or listen on the Minot Minotauros Facebook. Tickets for the Tauros Home Opener on October 2nd are available at tickets.minotauroshockey.com or on the Minot Minotauros mobile app. Get yours today before they sell out! |
