The wind blew all throughout the game, making some shots on the south goal difficult. Each team took their turn shooting into the gusts.

The first half of the game was evenly matched, the ball being sent across the field. In that way, Coach Creighton Bachmeier said the game was played in two different styles. “(Bismarck) held the ball a little bit more in there,” he admitted. “They’ve got great athleticism that we needed to match up a little bit better on.”

Rodrigue Mugisha of the Bismarck Demons scored 15 minutes into the second half, and the Magicians went into more of a “counterattack mode.” With three minutes and 19 seconds left on the clock, Brayden Oswalt from Minot scored their only goal of the night.

“I think we played really well,” Team Captain Walter Markle said. “We defended really well. Our defense has been solid all year.”

Ciara Parizek/MDN Magician Team Captain Walter Markle (6) lines up to take the ball from the Bismarck Demons in the first half of Thursday's game.

Minot High goalkeeper JJ Dufner saved the very first shot on goal and Oswalt said between that save and their defense, they had a chance to win.

For the post-season games, Bachmeier plans to work on having more possession of the ball.

As of Thursday night, it is still to be determined what time the Magicians will play next week Tuesday in Mandan.