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Andrew Lennox, www.minotauroshockey.com The Aberdeen Wings visited the Magic City on Friday night for a two-game weekend set. Heading into the series, Minot had beaten the Wings four times this season, shutting them out in three of those matchups. Friday Night Recap: Aberdeen struck first, taking a 1-0 lead just 3:53 into the opening period. Cade Moxham netted his 15th goal of the season, with Luke Backel and Bryce Johnson assisting. The Wings extended their lead to 2-0 at 7:07 of the first, as Moxham tallied his second goal of the period. Jackson and Backel again provided the assists. Minot cut the deficit in half late in the period when Landon Fleming fired a wrist shot from the high slot off a beautiful feed from Billy Batten. Jesse Juhola was credited with the secondary assist. The Tauros evened the score at 2-2 early in the second, as John Small netted his 22nd goal of the season, assisted by linemate Ian Spencer. Aberdeen regained the lead later in the period when Matthew Martin-Gaudreault scored his third goal of the 2024-25 campaign, putting the Wings up 3-2. The Wings extended their advantage to 4-2 just 2:33 into the third period, as Owen Pitters capitalized on a power play opportunity. Minot responded with a goal from Gavin Middendorf, who beat Wings goaltender Gavin Greniuk five-hole on a rush, bringing the Tauros within one at 4-3 with 7:40 remaining. However, Jack McDonough restored Aberdeen’s two-goal cushion with under five minutes left, and Moxham sealed the win by completing his hat trick with an empty-net goal. The Wings secured a 6-3 victory. Saturday Night Recap: The Wings once again opened the scoring. A Tauros defensive-zone turnover led to Ryder Many Grey Horses snapping a wrist shot from the slot into the back of the net just 4:53 into the game. Jack O’Hanisian tied the game at 1-1 late in the first, knocking in a rebound off a Juhola shot. Billy Batten picked up the secondary assist. Aberdeen quickly regained the lead, as Jibber Kuhl found the back of the net just a minute before intermission. The Wings made it 3-1 with 5:45 left in the second period when a soft shot from the point was tipped past Tauros goaltender Will Mizenko. Nick Comfort was credited with the goal. Early in the third, Middendorf collected his second goal of the weekend, scoring on a wraparound to make it 3-2. O’Hanisian then struck again, knotting the score at 3-3 with 11:24 remaining in regulation after Juhola sent him on a breakaway with a perfectly placed pass. After 60 minutes, the teams headed to overtime. It didn’t take long for a winner to emerge—O’Hanisian completed his hat trick in the extra frame, giving the Tauros a thrilling 4-3 victory and a weekend series split. Following the weekend split in the Magic City, the Tauros will remain at home next weekend to face the Minnesota Mallards. As always, all Tauros games can be viewed live on NATV, with a free live audio stream available on the Tauros’ YouTube and Facebook pages. Tickets for next weekend’s games and all Tauros home matchups can be purchased on the Tauros’ online ticketing site. |
