By Jeremy Pike, minotauroshockey.com MINOT, ND – The Minot Minotauros were unable to set the franchise record for wins this weekend, but they were able to split the two-game series with the St Cloud Norsemen by winning 5-1 Saturday night. One record was set as Trevor Stachowiak notched his 102nd career point with the Tauros, making him the career leader (he later added his 103rd.)
The theme of St Cloud opening the scoring that dated back to last weekend’s action continued Saturday night as Kyle Miller opened the scoring 4:28 into the period. He walked in from the point and unleashed a heavy shot that Tauros goalie Lukas Swedin got a piece of, but the force was enough to cause the puck to pop up and over Swedin before falling into the net.
The Norsemen outshot the Tauros 5-0 through the first 7:30 of the game, but it was the Tauros’ first shot on goal of the game that tied the game. Adam Mahler, evidently fresh from his early exit Friday night, skated down the right wing and fought off a check before attempting a tight-angle shot from essentially the goal line. Somehow, the puck found its way past St Cloud goalie Ryan Manzella. There was no call for a goal on the ice, but as the Tauros celebrated, the play was reviewed and the goal was given. That was Mahler’s third goal of the season. Niklas Ketonen and Joel Lehtinen each picked up assists, Ketonen’s 21st and Lehtinen’s 28th of the season.
Less than two minutes later, the Minotauros were in the lead. After some hard work in the corner by Stachowiak and Nick Sewecke, Stax got the puck out to Cayden Casey who one-timed it past Manzella. That was Casey’s eighth goal of the season as well as Sewecke’s eighth assist of the season. It was Stachowiak’s 23rd assist of the season, and more importantly, it was his record-breaking 102nd point as a Tauro.
The Tauros would head to the locker room with the lead and comfortably outshooting St Cloud 12-6.
The home team would extend their lead only 1:56 into the second period. The Tauros got out on an odd-man rush and after a shot attempt was stuffed at the post, Will Dawson poked it home for his eighth of the season. John Small notched his 11th assist and Jack O’Hanisain picked up his 18th assist.
That would be the only scoring of the second period, but O’Hanisain had a golden opportunity with less than seven minutes remaining. He got out on a partial breakaway and Hagen Moe spun him down before he could get the shot away. O’Hanisain was awarded a penalty shot, but Manzella stuffed the shot at the near post. The Tauros took a 3-1 lead into the locker room with a 14-10 shot advantage in the period and 26-16 overall.
St Cloud would pull Manzella with just over four minutes to go, but O’Hanisain would find the back of the net with 3:47 remaining. Ketonen got the puck on the left wing and found O’Hanisain just inside the faceoff dot. O’Hanisain’s shot found a St Cloud player and deflected, wobbling slowly but surely over the goal line for the empty net goal. It was O’Hanisain’s 20th goal of the season and Ketonen’s 21st assist.
Stachowiak would cap off his record-breaking night with 1:52 remaining. With Moe in the box and the Tauros on the power play, Mahler dished the puck back to Colby Woogk at the point. Woogk spotted Stachowiak at the faceoff dot to Manzella’s right and slid it to him. Stachowiak wound up and boomed a one-timer past Manzella for his eighth goal of the season. Woogk got his 13th assist and Mahler picked up his 10th.
Friday night was the Tauros’ first loss on a Friday night all season long as they fell 3-2 to the Norsemen.
Hudson Blue opened the scoring for the visiting Norsemen 6:30 into the game. It was a flukey goal as Andrew Cumming tried to pass to Blue but it caught Blue up high and somehow bounced over Tauros goalie Brady James and into the net
Less than two minutes later, Chad Muller was called for checking from behind and also given a 10-minute misconduct. Then just over two minutes later, Mahler was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking, sending him to the locker room for an early night. Despite the extended penalty kill, the Tauros held firm to go into the first intermission down only one.
The Tauros wasted no time tying the game up after the puck dropped on the second period. The Tauros got a faceoff to Manzella’s right and Sewecke lined up to take the faceoff. He won it cleanly back to Casey who paused only momentarily before snapping a shot by Manzella only 25 seconds into the period.
However, it would be the Norsemen who would score next. With just over seven minutes remaining in the second, St Cloud came down on a 4-on-2 rush and Moe capped it off.
Then less than two minutes later with Jack Gardner in the box for cross-checking, Gavin Gunderson pounced on a loose puck near the crease and flipped it home for what would be the game-winning goal.
Then chaos ensued. With just under four minutes remaining in the period, the Norsemen crashed the net hard and Muller took offense. He and Moe tangled behind the Tauros net before the gloves came off and both players landed big shots. That was the final big action of the second, and the Tauros went back to the locker room trailing 3-1.
With just over three minutes remaining in regulation, the Tauros were rewarded for the fighting spirit they showed late. Knox did a good job keeping the puck in the zone and found Lehtinen in the slot. Lehtinen side-stepped a St Cloud player and snapped a shot through traffic, his 11th goal of the season.
Next up the Tauros head to Aberdeen to take on the Wings. The Tauros return home for Superhero Weekend against the Austin Bruins on January 26th and 27th. Stay tuned to our socials for more information on how you can nominate a local superhero. The Tauros will also be wearing Prairie Grit specialty jerseys which will be auctioned to benefit Prairie Grit.