Austin Bruins fall to Minot Minotauros 5-1 Saturday evening

Coming off a 2-0 shutout win in Minot versus the Minotauros Friday evening, their third win in a row, the Austin Bruins were looking to continue their climb up the NAHL Central Division standings with a sweep Saturday evening, but the first-place Minotauros had other plans as they scored the first five goals, two of them on  the power play in a 5-1 win.

The Minotauros held a 2-0 lead after one period and added three more goals in the second stanza for a 5-0 lead before Ashton Bynum tallied for Austin at 4:55 of the third period, his second goal of the season to make the score 5-1, with assists to Landon Dauner, his fourth, and to Reilley Kotai, his third.

The Minotauros outshot the Bruins 35-26 for the game, and Bruins netminder Trent Wiemken played the first 27:05 of the game and made 12 saves in facing 16 shots, with Vilgot Holm then playing the last 32:54, and Holm turned away 25 of the 26 shots he faced in the game.  Minot goaltender Lukas Swedin made 25 saves in facing 26 shots to earn the win in net, and it was a penalty-filled affair at Pepsi Rink at Maysa Arena Saturday evening as the Bruins were whistled for 11 penalties for 22 minutes, while the Minotauros were called for 12 penalties for 22 minutes, and the Bruins were 0 for 4 on the power play, while Minot went 2 for 4.

With the loss, the Bruins are now 24-19-2-1-1 for 51 points and fifth place in the Central Division, one point behind St. Cloud for the last playoff spot in the division, as the Norsemen drilled North Iowa 9-1 Saturday night to stay in fourth place.  Austin will be back in action at the Municipal Athletic Complex in St.  Cloud Friday night versus the Norsemen for the first game of a home-and-home weekend series, with face-off in St. Cloud at 7 p.m. Friday night, and at Riverside Arena at 7:05 p.m. Saturday evening.