Weekend Recap November 23-24
November 23, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minot Minotauros News Release
For the first time in Minot Minotauros history, the team traveled to Forest Lake, Minnesota, to take on the Mallards in a two-game set. The Tauros dominated the weekend, securing two wins over the new Central Division franchise. Minnesota entered the series on a seven-game losing streak.
Friday's Game:
On Friday, Minot struck first with 12:51 left in the opening frame. Defenseman Jordan Gibbs ripped a wrist shot from the point off a perfectly executed offensive zone draw. Dane Ramirez earned the assist.
Just over eight minutes later, Leo Cabulis doubled the Tauros' lead, crashing the net and finishing a brilliant feed from Brandon Funk. Connor Thue added the secondary assist. However, Minnesota cut the lead in half before intermission, with Dakotah Bailey netting his first of the season.
Early in the second period, Minot reclaimed their two-goal advantage. Just 23 seconds in, Jack O'Hanisian scored from in front of the net after receiving a corner pass from linemate Jesse Juhola. Minnesota quickly responded, narrowing the gap to 3-2 with Trey Grentz's tally at 17:16.
Midway through the period, the Tauros struck on the power play. O'Hanisian buried his second goal of the night on another perfect setup from Juhola, restoring the two-goal lead. With 5:37 left in the middle frame, Minot capitalized on another man advantage. Billy Batten collected his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Ian Spencer and O'Hanisian.
Despite the 5-2 lead, Minnesota rallied late in the second. Goals from Grant Kohnen and Deke Davidson just 12 seconds apart shrank the Tauros' lead to 5-4. Then, with 1:57 left in regulation, Bailey struck again, forcing overtime.
In the extra frame, Chuck Owens sealed the deal with just 23 seconds remaining, giving Minot a thrilling 6-5 victory and extending their win streak to four games.
Saturday's Game:
On Saturday, the Tauros wasted no time getting on the board. Just 1:32 into the first period, Cabulis netted his second goal of the weekend, with Owens earning the lone assist.
The middle frame saw Minot extend their lead. At 6:58, Juhola buried a power-play goal during a scramble in front of Mallards goalie Richard Rafaj. Batten and O'Hanisian provided the assists. Later, during a 5-on-3 advantage, Ian Spencer scored twice in just 20 seconds, pushing the Tauros' lead to 4-0. Before intermission, Minot added a fifth goal on a 2-on-1 break. Murray Marvin-Cordes found John Small, who fired a shot past Rafaj.
Minnesota managed to get one back early in the third while shorthanded. A Tauro's turnover gave Dakotah Bailey a breakaway, and he capitalized with a glove-side snipe on goalie Will Mizenko. However, the Tauros restored their five-goal lead when Murray Marvin-Cordes scored his second goal of the season off a setup from Batten with 11:04 left in regulation.
Neither team scored again, and Minot cruised to a dominant 6-1 victory, completing the weekend sweep over the Mallards.
Upcoming Games:
The Tauros will travel to Bismarck to face the Bobcats on Wednesday, November 27th. Puck drop is set for 7:15 PM at the VFW Sports Center. The game will be broadcast live on NATV, with free audio coverage available on the Tauros' YouTube and Facebook pages.
The Tauros return home on November 29th and 30th to take on the Watertown Shamrocks. Tickets for those games can be purchased at tickets.minotauroshockey.com. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:35 PM at Maysa Arena.
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