The Aberdeen Wings hosted the Minot Minotauros in the Odde over the weekend. Friday was a defensive battle between the two teams, and before time could run out to go to overtime, Minot would score within the final seconds. On Saturday, the Wings would look like a completely different team coming out strong offensively, and putting Minot on their heals.
(Friday, Feb. 6 – Odde Ice Center, Aberdeen, SD) Both teams would try their best at keeping the puck in their own offensive zone to start out on Friday night, but more shots were blocked then recorded on goal. This game was going to come down at who would be better defensively. Towards the end of the period, the Wings would be sent to the box, and set the Minotauros up on the Power Play. With just over a minute left in the period, Minot would be first to break the ice, and it would be Trevor Stewart scoring the Power Play goal for them. With this being the only scoring in the first, Minot would have the 1-0 lead heading into the second period.
Right away in the second, Briggs Orr would find the back of the net for the Wings just 45 seconds in. Getting assists on the goal would be Brody Dustin and Owen Pitters. Aberdeen would get two Power Play chances, and although they would come close to scoring again, they would be unable to do so. Again with Orr’s goal being the only scoring of the period, the game would now be tied at 1 heading into the final period of the night.
In the third period, it would become a bit of a back and forth match between the two teams, and shots and goal recorded between both would remain low in the third. Defensively, both teams would stay very strong. Just before it seemed like the game would be going into overtime, however, Minot’s Lucca Ori would score with just 43 seconds remaining in the game, giving Minot the win on night one.
Willum Braun was in net on Friday stopping 21 of 23 shots, and ended the night with a .913 SV%.
(Saturday, Feb. 7 – Odde Ice Center, Aberdeen, SD) Saturday’s game would have quite the turnaround for the Wings, and it would be Teddy Bear Toss night! Just 2 minutes and 10 seconds into the first period, Jibber Kuhl would make the Teddy Bears fly after scoring the first goal of the game with assists coming from Matthew Martin and Finn Safir! Shortly after, the Wings would find themselves on the Penalty Kill, but instead of Minot getting a Power Play goal, Aberdeen would get a shorthanded goal instead when Matthew Martin would score on a breakaway with assists from Finn Safir and Jibber Kuhl. In the second half of the period, Minot would be able to tie things up with goals from clogging the crease. The first being scored by Briggs Knott at the 7:47 mark, and the second being scored by Lucca Ori with just 2 seconds remaining in the period. The game would be tied at 2 heading into the second period of the night.
The second period scoring would be all Wings. Just under a minute into the period, Jonathan Doucette would score, with help from Zan Spari-Leben and Cooper Anderson. Shortly after, the Wings would find themselves on the Power Play, and Cooper Anderson would get a goal of his own with assists from Matthew Martin and Jonathan Doucette. As time would wind down on the clock for the second period, Taven James would score his 6th goal of the season with assists coming from Keaton Weis and Gavin Reed. Aberdeen would have a 5-2 lead heading into the final period of the weekend.
The third period would be another offensive battle. Halfway through the period, Aberdeen would get sent to the Penalty Box, setting Minot up on the Power Play. Mackley Morelli would score, decreasing the Aberdeen lead. As time would start to wind down for the period, Minot would pull their goaltender in an attempt to take the game to overtime. Instead, with 30 seconds left on the clock, Jibber Kuhl – who started the scoring for the night – would end it as well with an empty net goal with assists from Easton Edwards and Herman Berggren. The Wings would win on Saturday with a score of 6-3.
Adam Dybal was in net on Saturday stopping 26 of 29, and ended the night with a .897 SV%.
The Wings now look ahead to this weekend as they have a home and home series against the Watertown Shamrocks! The Wings will play in the Odde Ice Center on Friday for Singles Night presented by POET! Advanced tickets can be purchased at all C-Express locations in Aberdeen, at tickets.aberdeenwings.com, or at the Lincoln Repair Aberdeen Box Office located inside the Odde!
On Saturday, the Wings will travel to Watertown to take on the Shamrocks in the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena! You can watch the game on NAHLTV, or listen on Hub City Radio: 94.1, The Rock!
After, Head Coach Scott Langer, Equipment Manager Alex Laven, and players Jibber Kuhl, Herman Berggren, Easton Edwards, Brody Dustin, and Jonathan Doucette will head to Plymouth, MI to represent the Aberdeen Wings at this year’s NAHL Top Prospects Tournament! If you would like to watch those games, be sure to subscribe to NAHLTV!
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