Minotauros open season Friday against North Iowa

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) - The Minot Minotauros open the season Friday night in the “Battle of the Bulls” versus the North Iowa Bulls.

Last year, the Tauros missed the Robertson Cup for the first time since 2012. The team returns eleven skaters from last season.

Head Coach and General Manager Cody Campbell emphasized speed as the team’s strength last year but recognized the need for more scoring threats.

Less than 24 hours after the NAHL trade window opened, Campbell added the Minnesota Magicians’ leading scorer, Hunter Longhi, in a blockbuster trade. Colby Joseph, last year’s top scorer, returns for his final year of eligibility.

“We have a really competitive group of kids. Guys who are really committed to winning and I think the brand and style of hockey that we’re going to play is fast and up-tempo. We’re going to be fast and physical. It should be a fun style of hockey to watch,” said Head Coach Cody Campbell.

Defenseman Nick O’Hanisain scored three goals and tallied two assists at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota, last weekend. O’Hanisain joined the Minotauros last February from the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.

“I was really excited when I got here about how tight our group was last year, and then going into this year we had the same group. We really expanded that to our younger guys and made our younger guys comfortable,” said defenseman Nick O’Hanisain.

The “Battle of the Bulls” games are Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 7:35 p.m. at Maysa Arena.

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