The Aberdeen Wings kick off February with a home bout against the Minot Minotauros, and they’ll be raising money via specialty jerseys all weekend.
The Wings have partnered with SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center, an organization that “provides opportunities for growth through horse-related activities for individuals with special needs,” according to their website. The staff at SPURS designed specialty jerseys that the players will wear both Friday and Saturday night. And fans will have a chance to take a game-worn jersey home with them via a jersey auction immediately following Saturday’s game, with proceeds directly benefitting SPURS.
The Wings (19-15-2-2) and the Minotauros (20-16-1-1) are meeting for just the fifth and sixth times in the 2022-23 hockey season, with each team taking two wins over the other. Minot edged the Wings out 3-2 in overtime back on Oct. 21 before the Wings rebounded for a 4-2 win the following night. In their more recent meetings, Minot shutout the Wings 4-0 on Jan. 13 before Aberdeen responded with a 5-2 win on Jan. 14. All four matchups happened in Minot, so this will the first time this season that the Wings welcome the Minotauros into their home barn at the Odde Ice Center.
Both teams come into the weekend following a loss, with Aberdeen falling to Bismarck in an overtime heartbreak and Minot dropping their contest to the top-ranked Austin Bruins.
Additionally, both teams come into the weekend tied for second place in the Central Division standings, each earning 42 points after 38 games played. A sweep for either team will create some cushion in the standings, while a weekend split will keep the teams even.
But just six points separate them from last-place North Iowa Bulls, who have 36 points in 37 games played. The Bulls will have a home-and-home weekend against the Bruins, while the St. Cloud Norsemen and the Bismarck Bobcats face each other in St. Cloud this weekend. If a sweep happens for either team in Aberdeen and in St. Cloud, the standings will look a lot different by the time the weekend wraps.
Fans can purchase tickets ahead of the weekend online at tickets.AberdeenWings.com, or at the door on game nights. $10 general admission tickets can also be purchased at any C-Express location in Aberdeen, with additional purchase. The Wings welcome Syngenta as the game’s corporate sponsor inside the AutoMaxx Party Deck on Friday, with SPURS being the featured sponsor for Saturday night’s game.
Stay tuned to AberdeenWings.com for more game day details.