
Weekend Recap December 6-7
December 8, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minot Minotauros News Release
It was a weekend full of records, teddy bears, goals, and wins for the Tauros as they took home ice for the second straight weekend hosting the Minnesota Mallards for the first time in franchise history at the Maysa Arena.
This weekend served as the first of two consecutive weekends playing the Mallards as the Tauros were looking to build on two wins over Minnesota earlier this year in Forest Lake. In that series the Tauros picked up two wins, netting a combined 12 goals in the series.
On Friday night, the Tauros got off to a hot start and never looked back.
Just over halfway into the first period on Friday, it was Adam Mahler netting the first goal of the weekend good for his sixth goal of the season off assists from Billy Batten and Jesse Juhola. This goal marked his 20th as a defenseman for the Tauros putting him one goal within reach of tying the record of goals by a Tauro defenseman with Colby Woogk.
It wasn't without pushback though as the Mallards put one in the net with 1:40 remaining in the period courtesy of Marek Thompson as both teams hit the first intermission knotted up at one apiece.
A lone goal in the second period came by way of Connor Thue marking his first in a Tauros jersey putting the Tauros ahead 2-1 after 40 minutes of play.
Despite the low-scoring period, there were plenty of shots to go around as the Mallards outshot the Tauros 16-14 in the period.
It was in the third period where the scoring floodgates opened for Minot as the Tauros would find the back of the net five times in the frame.
The first of which came off the stick of Ty James on his second goal of the year as he ripped one past Mallards' netminder, Zane Spaniol to make it 3-1.
The ensuing goal would come nearly 3 minutes later as John Small hammered home a rebound off an initial shot by Brandon Funk to give the Tauros a 4-1 lead on Small's 14th goal of the season. Assists on the goal were credited to Brandon Funk and Ty James.
The fifth goal of the night would tie history as Mahler beat Spaniol glove-side off an assist from in front of the Mallard net by Chuck Owens for Mahler's second goal of the night and 21st as a Tauro defenseman tying Colby Woogk's record.
Before the night's end, it was the LIU commit Brandon Funk catching fire finding the back of the net twice for his first two goals of the season to put the icing on the cake on a dominant 7-1 Tauro victory to take the first half of the weekend series.
Will Mizenko was credited the win saving 28 of 29 shots faced as he continues to impress, improving his record to 6-1-1 following the victory. Mizenko now holds a 1.986 GAA & a .928 SV%.
Saturday marked the 13th Tauro Teddy Bear Toss at Maysa Arena presented by Scheels. The Tauros were looking to break a previous record of 1,613 teddy bears & stuffed animals to benefit local organizations and children in the area.
It was Mitch Vanderway netting the first goal of the night just over 10 minutes into the action to give Minnesota their first lead ever over the Tauros in history on Vanderway's 5th marker of the year.
The Tauros would answer.
Billy Batten would send the Maysa Arena into pandemonium with teddy bears and stuffed animals raining down on the ice after tapping home a goal on an assist from Jesse Juhola and Jack O'Hanisain.
The assist on the goal from O'Hanisain would also mark O'Hanisain's 100th point as a Tauro.
Following the prolonged stoppage to collect the record number of teddy bears and stuffed animals off the ice it only took the Tauros 20 seconds to find the back of the net again as Billy Batten netted another for his 10th goal on the season to give the Tauros a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.
Batten wasn't done, however. 1:22 into the second period Billy Batten notched the 23rd hat-trick in Tauros history, finding the nylon for the third time of the night while also marking the quickest Tauro hat-trick in franchise history.
The final goal of the night and of the second period would rewrite history as Adam Mahler would score his third of the weekend and 22nd as a Tauro setting the new record for goals by a Tauro defenseman on his 18th point of the season.
That goal would give the Tauros a 4-1 advantage into the second intermission which would prove to hold up as the Tauros once again swept the Mallard remaining a perfect 4-0 against them this season.
Lucas Swedin would get the win as his record improved to 11-5 saving 37 of 28 shots faced.
The Tauros would outshoot the Mallards on the weekend with a combined 85-67 advantage in that category while outscoring them 11-2 through the two games.
Next up, the Tauros will travel back down to Forest Lake Minnesota this upcoming Friday and Saturday night to take on the Mallards once again. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Friday and 7:30 PM on Saturday at the Forest Lake Sports Center. Those games can be viewed live on NATV or listened to via the free live audio broadcast available on the Tauros' Facebook and YouTube pages.
The Tauros return to the Maysa Arena on December 20th & 21st to take on the Austin Bruins. Tickets for those games can be purchased on the Tauros mobile ticketing website.
Edward Nieman, www.minotauroshockey.com
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North American Hockey League Stories from December 8, 2024
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- Weekend Recap December 6-7 - Minot Minotauros
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