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Edward Nieman, www.minotauroshockey.com
The Tauros returned to the ice this weekend as they hosted the third-place Austin Bruins on the Pepsi Rink at Maysa Arena. The Tauros were looking to continue their winning ways, winning their last four, while the Bruins were looking to snap a three-game losing streak entering the weekend series.
The weekend series marked the second meeting between the two teams this season, the first of which took place in October at Riverside Arena in Minnesota. That series resulted in two wins for Austin en route to a weekend sweep.
The scoring in the Friday night contest would get started a little over halfway into the opening period.
The Bruins would be sent shorthanded as the Tauros would get their first opportunity of the series on the extra-man advantage. Entering the weekend, the Tauros power play unit was converting at a division-best 30%.
It would be the Bruins, though, making the most of the opportunity as Siamion Marshchanok found room on a shorthanded rush down the ice off a feed from his brother, Matsvei Marshchanok, as he put one past Tauros’ netminder Devin Rustlie to break the scoreless tie.
The shorthanded goal for the Bruins would be a league-leading ninth of the year.
The goal would be credited as Siamion’s 10th of the season as Matsvei would pick up his 11th assist through 18 games played. Also in on the assist was Alvin Elisson for his first helper.
Just as time expired on the Tauros’ power play, Dominic Pajikic wired one through traffic from the top of the circle off an offensive zone faceoff to even the game at aces.
The goal from Pajkic came just 56 seconds after the Bruins’ go-ahead goal, as Pajkic would pick up his second goal of the season.
Assisting on the goal were Lucca Ori and Briggs Knott for their seventh and first assists, respectively.
That would be all the scoring through the first 20 minutes of play on the Pepsi Rink as both teams would head to the dressing rooms tied at one apiece.
Through the first period, shots on goal favored Minot, 17-14.
The scoring would pick back up just under five minutes into the first period as Gavin Hruza found nylon off Tauros’ turnover in the defensive zone, leaving him an open shot from in close as the Bruins restored their lead.
The goal for Hruza marked his fourth as Matsvei and Siamion would pick up their second points of the night.
Just over a minute later, Austin would add on.
This time, it was Sam Kline hammering home a second effort for the Bruins’ second shorthanded goal of the night.
Kline’s goal would come with 14:03 remaining in the second period as he gave Austin a 3-1 lead over Minot.
That score would hold as the second period horn sounded, signaling the end of the middle stanza.
Shots on net through two periods were knotted up at 27 apiece as the Bruins held onto a two-goal advantage through the first 40 minutes of the weekend.
The Bruins would tack on two more in the third period by way of EJ Paddington and Austin Doyle as Austin cruised to a 5-1 win on Friday night.
Shot totals would end in favor of the Bruins 39-36 as second-year goaltender Jack Solomon notched his fourth win of the year in net, improving his record to 4-1-0.
The win for Austin marked their first victory since November 7th as the Tauros would fall back under .500 with the loss.
Saturday night provided Minot with the opportunity to salvage the series split as they were in search of their first win over the Bruins in the 2025-26 campaign.
The Saturday night series finale featured scoring early and often as the Tauros were the first ones to strike.
It was Arseni Vorobyov getting his first as a Tauro just 28 seconds into the opening period as he put one past Jack Solomon’s glove side off a feed from Artem Prima to make it 1-0.
Just over a minute later, it was Dane Ramirez doubling the lead on his fifth of the season as he dove to the ice, escorting the puck past Solomon’s right pad to give the Tauros a two-goal lead.
With 13:27 remaining in the opening period, Lucca Ori lit the lamp for the third unanswered goal in the period for Minot, good for his third of the season.
Assisting on Ori’s goal were Marlen Edwards and Ty James.
The Bruins would answer back minutes later as Michael Coleman hammered home a wrister from the left wing on a feed from EJ Paddington for his eighth of the season. Also assisting on the goal was Zander Lipsett as the Bruins cut the Tauros’ lead back down to two.
Just another minute would tick off the clock before third-year Tauro defenseman Ty James would restore the three-goal lead.
The goal for James would mark his 12th point of the season through 19 games played.
Prior to the end of the period, Austin would get their second of the night via Michael Coleman as he found twine for the second time in the period on a goal that trickled past Rustlie to make the score 4-2.
That score would hold as the horn sounded and the game arrived at the first intermission.
The combined six goals in the period would result in the shots on goal favoring the Tauros after 20 minutes, 12-11.
The second period would belong to the Bruins as they were able to net two goals to draw the game even at 4-4.
The first goal came off the stick of Trace Day as he rocketed a rebound shot past Rustlie off the left wing for his first of the weekend.
Assisting on the goal were John Flood and Sam Kline.
With 9:10 remaining in the second frame, Gavin Hruza would pull the game even as he netted his sixth of the year.
Through two periods of play, the shots on goal totals still favored Minot 20-18.
The game would come down to a decisive third period.
Carrying much of the momentum from the second period, Austin was able to net three goals to commence the scoring in the third period as they began to pull away late.
Two of the three goals would come by way of EJ Paddington, with the other coming from Alvin Elisson. The three straight goals in the third period would make it five unanswered goals from the Bruins as they stormed to a 7-4 lead.
The Tauros would get one back late as Anthony Spadaro would net his first as a Tauro, but it would prove to be too little too late as the Bruins secured the weekend sweep with a 7-5 victory on Saturday night.
In net, both nights, getting the wins for the Bruins was Jack Solomon as Austin’s record improved to 11-5-3 following the weekend set.
With the two losses, the Tauros dropped to sixth place in the division with a 7-9-3 record.
The Tauros will return to the ice on Wednesday night as they travel to the state’s capital to take on the Bismarck Bobcats at the VFW Sports Center. The meeting between the two rivals will mark the first of the regular season.
The Tauros will return home to the Pepsi Rink at Maysa Arena next weekend as they take on the Watertown Shamrocks on Black Friday weekend. As always, tickets can be purchased on the Tauros’ online ticketing site.
For those who cannot make it, all Tauros games are broadcast live on NATV, along with a free live audio broadcast available on the Tauros’ YouTube, Facebook, and Mixlr pages.
To stay the most up to date with the Tauros, make sure to tune into Tauros All Access Monday-Thursday at 3 PM on the Tauros’ YouTube and Facebook pages.
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