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Minotauros drop playoff opener

Aberdeen uses six-goal second period to sink Minot

Photo courtesy of the Aberdeen American News Minotauros forward Austin Dollimer (12) chases after the puck during a NAHL playoff game Friday in Aberdeen.

It took 20 minutes.

Nathan Burke scored the first goal of the game at the 2:55 mark of the second period which started a six-goal onslaught including a Jonathan Bendorf hat trick, as the Aberdeen Wings took game one of their best-of-five playoff NAHL Central Division playoffs 6-0 over the Minot Minotauros.

“We were patient,” said Wings head coach Scott Langer. “We were back-and-forth in the first period. I thought ‘Vernie’ (Matt Vernon) made some crucial saves for us to keep us in it when we weren’t playing all that well, then as you saw, Jonny Bendorf took over.”

The first period played out like most opening round games do, each team feeling each other, trying to take quality chances when the opportunity was there. Matt Vernon turned back all nine shots he faced in the first 20 minutes, while Minot’s Samu Lonkila did the same with 12 saves and they went to the first intermission scoreless.

“I thought we had a pretty solid first period,” said Minot head coach Marty Murray. “We did a lot of good things in that (first) period, but then we tried to trade chances with (Aberdeen) and when you do that against a team as talented as they are, you’re asking for trouble, and we found (trouble) in that second period.”

Nathan Burke opened the scoring at the 2:55 mark of the second period, scoring a power-play goal off a re-direct to make it a 1-0 lead. Bendorf would make it a two, then three-goal lead in a span of 2:51 scoring off the assist by John Sladic at the 7:04 mark to making it 2-0, then on the Wings third power play, Bendorf made it a 3-0 advantage. The forward then became the first player in team history to score a hat-trick in a playoff game, lighting the lamp with 1:51 to go in the second. Adam Pitters and Joey Molenaar each added a goal to make it 6-0.

“I was just trying to get the puck around the defenseman and on goal,” Bendorf said of his third goal. “I knew he would slide back toward me so I just tried to shoot it in the right spot and I found the net. We knew we needed to come out strong in the second period. Last couple games we had trouble scoring against them, but (Friday) night we got on early in the second, and we were able to pour it on.”

Langer expressed the confidence he has in Bendorf and is quick to point out when we arrived in Aberdeen 13 games into the season he immediately made an impact.

“Jonny’s been a difference maker ever since we acquired him,” Langer said. “You never expect that type of output in a playoff game, but he’s shown he is very capable.”

Vernon took care of the rest, turning back all 25 shots he faced to record his first playoff shutout.

“I didn’t have a lot of screens in front of me (Friday) night,” Vernon said. “Our defense was pushing (Minot) forwards out, so it made things a lot easier to see, which always helps. As long as I can see the puck, I’ll be stopping it. It’s huge for me to come up with a shutout in the playoffs. I’m just trying to help this team keep winning, that’s the only thing that matters to me right now.”

For Murray, the score doesn’t really factor into the mindset coming into game two (Saturday) night.

“Whether it’s 6-0 or 1-0, it’s a playoff loss,” Murray said. “We’ve got a quick turnaround and find a way to get a couple early (goals) and have some pride with a good road effort (Saturday) night.”

Langer knows that’s the exact mindset his squad needs to take into game two.

“Look, the score wasn’t really indicative of the game, really,” Langer said. “Minot is a good hockey team, and we’re going to have to come out and match their intensity in game two, bottom line.”

Game two will drop the puck at 7: 15 p.m.

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