Submitted Photo Minotauros defenseman Adam Mahler (42) skates up ice on January 17 at the Odde Ice Center in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Photo by Grace Sandy of Minotauros Hockey.

For one final time in the regular season, the Minotauros will travel to South Dakota to take on the Aberdeen Wings in the second-to-last weekend series before the playoffs.

A 4-1 victory on March 29 over Austin secured a season series split against the Bruins while also retaking second place in the Central Division. This weekend in Aberdeen will mark the final regular season out-of-state trip for Tauros as they look to build on the Saturday night win before returning home to North Dakota to take on the Bobcats.

Against the Wings this year, the Tauros hold a 5-1 record with the two games at the Odde thus far this year both resulting in wins. Aberdeen will enter this weekend’s matchup on a five-game win streak as they maintain a two-point advantage over the St. Cloud Norsemen for the fourth and final playoff spot with two weekends to go.

Five different Tauros were responsible for the combined six goals scored last weekend against Austin as Minot entered and exited holding on to second place in the division. Adam Mahler, Noah Gibbs, Ian Spencer (x2), Dane Ramirez and Jack O’Hanisain all recorded goals in the weekend split.

Against the Wings this year, Minot has outscored Aberdeen 22-10 through six games played.

Through the six games, the Tauros have also recorded three shutouts courtesy of both Lukas Swedin (x2) and Will Mizenko.

Of the 22 combined goals scored against the Wings this year, Jack O’Hanisain and Gavin Middendorf lead the way with five each. Billy Batten and Ian Spencer have also found the back of the net three times each against Aberdeen.

This weekend will once again be all-important for the Tauros playoff position with four games left on the regular season schedule. The Tauros and Bruins remain tied at 81 points each (Tauros hold tiebreaker) while the Bobcats have gained separation now leading the division with 88 points.

The Tauros’ final two series come against the Wings and Bobcats, while the Bruins have Bulls and Mallards left, and the Bobcats have the Mallards and Tauros remaining on the regular season schedule.

The Wings will enter Friday night riding in on a five-game winning streak that has seen them net a combined 26 goals over the winning stretch. Aberdeen’s wins in their last five have come against the Shamrocks (x3) and the Mallards (x2).

With the most recent five wins the Wings have been able to build up a four-point advantage over the Norsemen as they battle for the final playoff spot. The Norsemen’s final four games all come against the expansion teams with three against the Shamrocks and one against the Mallards.

Leonid Bulgakov continues to lead the Wings in points with 46 on the season in the form of 27 goals and 19 assists. Second to Bulgakov in points is Cade Moxham with 43 points on 19 goals and 24 assists.

Wings forward, Jibber Kuhl will enter Friday night’s game on an eight-game point streak, netting five goals and nine assists over that stretch as he has 42 points in just 40 games played this season.

The Tauros are averaging 3.69 goals per game on the season netting a total of 203 goals which is the most in the Central. Through 55 games the Tauros are allowing an average of 2.04 goals against per game which is good for the second least in the division.

In the season series the Tauros have gone 5/24 on the extra-man advantage against the Wings in comparison to the Wings 1/18. The 1,067 penalty minutes for Aberdeen is the most in the Central with 112 minutes coming against Minot in the first six meetings between the two teams.

On the penalty kill, the Tauros unit ranks fourth in the division at 83.23% compared to the Wings’ 78.29%, which ranks sixth in the Central.

On Friday, April 11, 2025 the Minotauros will return to Maysa Arena for one final time this regular season as they’ll square off with the Bismarck Bobcats.