The host Minot (North Dakota) Minotauros swept the Kenai River Brown Bears on Friday and Saturday.
In each game, the Bears went up 2-0 in the first period only to lose 4-2.
The two losses cost the Bears first place in the Midwest Division. The Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets lead with 22 points, while the Bears are 10-8-0-0 for 20 points. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs are in third at 18 points.
Friday, the Bears got off to a solid start thanks to special teams only to falter.
In the first period, Daymin Dodge started the scoring on a short-handed goal. Peter Morgan put the Bears up 2-0 on a power-play strike.
Minot then stormed back in the second period, with Tyler Kostelnecky scoring two of the three goals.
With 49 seconds left in the game, Minot clinched it with an empty-netter.
Keenan Rancier made 20 saves for Minot, while Luke Pavicich stopped 26 for the Bears.
Saturday, Morgan Winters scored, then Eagle River’s Brandon Lajoie scored short-handed to get the Bears out to a 2-0 lead. But Minot cut it to 2-1 by the end of the first with the first of four unanswered goals.
Rancier saved 35, while Pavicich stopped 36.
Kenai River now plays a three-game series at the Minnesota Magicians. Friday and Saturday games are at 4 p.m. AKST, while Sunday’s is at 3 p.m.
Friday
Minotauros 4, Brown Bears 2
Minot 0 3 1 —4
Kenai River 2 0 0 —2
First period — 1. Kenai River, Dodge (Pfister, Reid), sh, 10:19; 2. Kenai River, Morgan (Helgeson, Winters), pp, 16:48. Penalties — Minot 1 for 2:00; Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 3. Minot, Kostelecky (Stibbe, Kincaid), 2:27; 4. Minot, Kostelnecky (Petersen, Stibbe), 17:08; 5. Minot, Scott (Bucholz, Kincaid), 18:42. Penalties — Minot 2 for 4:00; Kenai River 4 for 16:00.
Third period — 6. Minot, Roloson (Kostelecky, Stibbe), en, 19:11. Penalties — Minot 2 for 4:00; Kenai River 4 for 29:00.
Shots on goal — Minot 7-11-12—30; Kenai River 7-8-7—22.
Goalies — Minot, Rancier (22 shots, 20 saves); Kenai River, Pavicich (29 shots, 26 saves).
Power plays — Minot 0 for 5; Kenai River 1 for 3.
Saturday
Minotauros 4, Brown Bears 2
Minot 1 2 1 —4
Kenai River 2 0 0 —2
First period — 1. Kenai River, Winters (Hadfield, Morgan), 13:17; 2. Kenai River, Lajoie (Dodge, Reid), sh, 16:36; 3. Minot, Temple (Bucholz, Roloson), pp, 17:53. Penalties — Minot 1 for 2:00; Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 4. Minot, Stibbe (Kostelecky, Crull), 9:04; 5. Minot, Zimmer (Stachowiak, Keller), 10:04. Penalties — Minot 1 for 2:00; Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Third period — 6. Minot, Scott (Temple, Kincaid), pp, 9:41. Penalties — Minot 2 for 12:00; Kenai River 5 for 18:00.
Shots on goal — Minot 13-14-13—40; Kenai River 17-13-7—37.
Goalies — Minot, Rancier (37 shots, 35 saves); Kenai River, Pavicich (40 shots, 36 saves).
Power plays — Minot 2 for 5; Kenai River 0 for 1.
