Minot, ND – The Tauros continued to gain points in the standings taking three of a possible four points on the weekend from the Austin Bruins in a wild weekend of games. The three points pull the Tauros back into second place just one point behind the Bismarck Bobcats, adding to the stakes for next weekend’s Subway ND Cup opening weekend.
Friday night (box score) the Bruins struck early scoring just 2:08 into the game on Carson Riddle’s fourth of the season. Jay Buchholz (3g 7a) answered back in the middle portion of the frame to have the Tauros even at the first intermission. By the halfway point Ryan Petersen (1g 0a) and Ville Immonen (5g 6a) had struck to give the Tauros a two goal lead, but that number would prove to be doom all weekend. Sure enough Tiernan Shoudy (3g 3a) and Josef Mysak (1g 2a) would even the game up with goals at 14:25 of the second and 1:00 of the third. That score would hold through the rest of regulation and a five minute three-on-three overtime. After Ben Garrity stopped Riddle, the next two shooters, Mysak and Ben Almquist would convert while neither Immonen or Cade Stibbe could answer for the Tauros.
Saturday night (box score) the Bruins would again strike quickly, just 2:37 in and again at 7:53 to get a dreaded two goal lead. The Bruins lead held going into the locker room for the first intermission. Cole O’Connell (5g 3a) got the Tauros going scoring early in the second with an assist from Braeden Bartoo (3g 5a). The Tauro Captain would then return the favor setting up Bartoo less than three minutes later to pull the Tauros even. Later in the period with 10:49 to play in the second a Mysak shot broke the glass behind the Tauros goal causing a 21-minute delay. 31-seconds after play resumed Cade Stibbe (3g 7a) gave the Tauros the lead for the first time on the night. Nik Armstrong-Kingkade (9g 7a), who earlier in the evening shot a puck off the post breaking the puck in half, netted his ninth of the season to give the Tauros a 4-2 lead. However the two goal curse struck again on the night the Tauros celebrated Halloween with a pregame Trunk-or-Treat Tailgate hosted by the Minotauros Booster Club. A power play goal late in the second and a quick Almquist goal early in the third saw the Tauro two-goal lead vanish. But Bartoo struck again for his second of the night to restore the Tauro lead and the masked man Garrity shut the door the rest of the way for the win.
Next up the Tauros head to Bismarck on Friday before return to the Maysa on Saturday to host the Cats as the Subway ND Cup kicks off with the two teams sitting atop the division. Tickets for Saturday’s game can be purchased through the “Tickets” tab atop this page.