Ashton Gerard/MDN Minot High junior goalkeeper Odin Nelson (31) deflects the puck in the Magician’s season opener against Grand Forks Central Saturday at Maysa Arena.

The Minot High boys hockey team just couldn’t keep up with the Grand Forks Central Knights in their season opener Saturday at Maysa Arena. The Magi fell 7-0 against the Knights.

“We told the kids it’s the first game of the year and I think coming into the year we’re maybe not as in shape as we need to be,” Minot High co-head coach Jason Bennett said. “Now we’ve got to get to where we’re competitive against them at the end of the year like we were last year.”

The Magicians fell behind early, as Central scored their first goal a minute and 53 seconds into the first period.

This first goal was scored by Grand Forks Central’s Mitchell Idalski. Idalski was assisted by William Lawson-Body Jr. and Kyler Briske.

Minot struggled to get the puck out of their zone. Central didn’t let off the gas as it scored its second goal of the game at 11:16 into the period. The goal was scored by Cole Hanson while Zach Murphy had the assist.

The Magi were outshot 13-1 by the end of the first period.

Junior goalkeeper Odin Nelson for the Magi had 11 saves in the first, only folding to the pressure twice out of bad positioning on the ice. Nelson had a few great glove saves in the first before Minot finally got a shot on goal at 14:55 into the period.

The second period began no differently than the first. Central came out guns blazing, scoring at 4:09 into the period. The goal, snuck in the back door by GFC Lucas Kanta and assisted by Murphy and Hanson, came as a surprise to Nelson.

Tension ran high on the ice as the Magi struggled to remain competitive. Penalties began to fly 4:38 into the period with GFC’s Briske earning the first minor for hooking.

Minot High was on the power play for not even a minute when Patrick Heide earned a minor 5:15 into the period for unsportsmanlike conduct.

With both teams reduced to four players, the Knights were able to score a second time for the period, their fourth goal overall, at 6:01 into the second. The goal was scored by Hunter Bjorge and assisted by Parker Stroh.

Both teams came back to full strength, the Magicians for a full minute, before the Knights came back with another goal, scored by Briske and assisted by Stroh and Jeffrey Hendrickson at 8:22 into the second.

With more goals came more penalties. The Knights earned their second at 10:56 called on Kanta for tripping. This gave Minot High a full two-minute power play that they couldn’t convert into a goal.

After GFC returned to full strength, Minot High got called for cross checking at 13:57 on Logan Braaten.

As the second period ended, the Magi were only able to achieve 4 more shots on goal, while the Knights added 12 shots on goal, plus three goals to go with it.

The third period began with a high sticking call at 2:18 on the Knights by Hunter Moreland. This gave Minot High a power play opportunity that again they just couldn’t turn into a goal.

The third period featured two more goals by GFC’s Brandon Holt at 5:28 and Will Howard at 16:25.

At the end of the game, the Magi only had 11 shots on goal, while the Knights had racked up 36.

“With the returning players we had, I thought we would be more competitive,” Bennett said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t. Odin Nelson played pretty good and he made some excellent saves and probably kept it closer than it should’ve been early.”

The Magi are back in action against Mandan at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Maysa Arena.