Weekend Recap February 13-14
NAHL Minot Minotauros

Weekend Recap February 13-14

Published on February 15, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minot Minotauros News Release


Olivia Tosto, www.minotauroshockey.com

A special weekend in Watford City saw the Minot Minotauros rebrand as the Watford City Warthogs for a two-game series against the Minnesota Mallards. With Minot sitting at 36 points on the season, the matchup carried significant importance in the standings.

Friday Night Recap

The puck dropped at the Rough Rider Center to a relatively quiet start. At the 8:53 mark of the first period, Philip Wiklund opened the scoring for the Warthogs, assisted by Dane Ramirez. That goal would stand as the lone tally of the period, though the physical tone was set early. Penalties were assessed to Mallards forward Michael Domina (cross-checking), Warthogs forward Philip Wiklund (hooking), and Jackson Smithknecht (slashing).

The Mallards seized momentum in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals. Domina found the net first, followed by a power-play goal from Deke Davidson and an even-strength tally by Jack Roberts. The Warthogs responded late in the period with a power-play goal from Lucca Ori. Additional penalties in the frame included Jax Warren (holding) and Jackson Smithknecht (hooking) for Watford City.

The final 20 minutes grew increasingly physical, featuring seven penalties, five of those for roughing. Ty Gordon capitalized on a power play just 14 seconds into a tripping minor assessed to Briggs Knott. Anthony Spadaro added a goal for the Warthogs, with defense contributing the assist.

While Wiklund served a roughing penalty, Wes Berg extended the Mallards' lead, and Lewis Majkozak added another later in the period. Knott scored with 1:35 remaining, but the late push was not enough. The Warthogs ultimately fell 6-4.

Saturday Night Bounce-Back

Looking to rebound on Valentine's Day, the Warthogs delivered a strong response.

Cohen Hoening opened the scoring for the Mallards with an assist from Ty Gordon. Lucca Ori, the team's leading scorer, answered to tie the game. Minnesota regained the lead before the end of the first period on a goal by Tyler Kusznier. The period featured just two penalties, both against the Mallards-Bauer Murphy (tripping) and Paul Spino (head contact with three seconds remaining). Watford City was unable to convert on the early power-play opportunity.

In the second period, newcomer Jachym Prusek recorded his first goal with the team. Lucas Ryen and Dominic Pajkic each added to the scoresheet as the Warthogs gained control. Murphy returned to the penalty box for slashing, leading to a power-play goal by Volodymyr Naumenko, assisted by Ivan Sidorov. Shortly after serving a slashing minor of his own, Sidorov exited the box and quickly scored, with assists credited to Alex Schwarz and Lucca Ori. Pajkic closed the period with a slashing penalty.

The third period remained scoreless but maintained a physical edge, with six total penalties assessed. The Warthogs' disciplined play and offensive surge in the second period secured a decisive 6-2 victory, a happy Valentine's Day!

Following the weekend split, the team returns to its Minot Minotauros identity and will host the Watertown Shamrocks at home next weekend.

Check out the Minot Minotauros Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



North American Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central