MINOT, ND – There were a lot of positives to take away from tonight’s game, as the Bruins earn a point but ultimately fall in the shootout.
With the push for the playoffs well underway, both teams came out strong and physical, and both goalies would come up with huge saves in the first period to keep it a scoreless game after 20 minutes of action at the Pepsi Rink at MAYSA Arena. The Bruins would strike first, as the Captian, Carson Riddle would pick up his 15th goal of the season on a nice feed from Walter Zacher to lift a shot over the glove side of Lassi Lehti to make it a 1-0 lead, 6:45 into the 2nd period. Ethan Robertson for the Bruins would come up with multiple big saves in the period to help give his team a 1-0 lead to the locker room after the 2nd period of action.
Minot would get their first goal of the night, just 1:32 into the 3rd period, as Trevor Stachowiak would snipe one past Robertson to tie the game up at 1-1. 60 minutes of regulation and 5 minutes of 3-on-3 overtime would not be enough to decide a winner so the game would go to a shootout. Dean Schwenninger would get one over the top of the glove of Robertson to give Minot a 1-0 lead in the shootout. Carson Riddle would extend the shootout for the Bruins, as he would wrap one past the right leg pad of Lehti to tie things up at 1-1. With the game on the line, Huston Karpman would sneak his shootout chance through the five-hole of Robertson to secure the win and the extra point for the Minotauros. Robertson would stop 31 of the 32 shots he would see during 65 minutes of action.
Both teams are back at it again tomorrow night, as the Bruins and Minotauros wrap up the regular-season meetings. Puck drop at the Pepsi Rink is set for 7:35 PM.
