Taking the ice for the first time since suffering a two-game sweep Jan. 15-16, the Minot Minotauros were looking to reverse their recent bad fortunes against the first-place Aberdeen Wings Wednesday night.

Minot, entering play in third place in the NAHL’s Central Division with 19 points, had lost six consecutive games dating back to Dec. 12. The Minotauros’ last win came in their Dec. 11 contest against the St. Cloud Norsemen, an event bursting with offensive fireworks that concluded with an 8-6 final score at Maysa Arena.

Minot’s Wednesday night game begun with a sluggish start for the visiting Minotauros. The Wings seized control of the game from the opening puck drop and drew first blood 11 minutes and 36 seconds into the opening period.

An insurance goal was also tallied by Aberdeen just two minutes and six seconds later, and Minot entered the first intermission trailing by two. The Minotauros’ penalty kill did not disappoint during its first chance of the night, though, dispatching of a slashing penalty nine minutes and 33 seconds into the opening frame.

Minot was also able to register nine shots on net in the period, but a solution for the Wings’ netminder, Jake Sibell, eluded them. Keenan Rancier, starting in net for the Minotauros, matched Sibell shot-for-shot and made 15 saves in the opening 20 minutes.

Tempers began to flare in the second period, as Aberdeen’s Jakob Stender and Minot’s Will Crull were both called for roughing just over six minutes into the frame. Crull served the requisite four minutes that accompany a double-minor penalty, but the Minotauros’ penalty kill again would not break.

The shorthanded group shut out Aberdeen’s second power play opportunity of the game, and later the Wings’ third when Donte Lawson committed a slashing penalty ten minutes and ten seconds into the period.

A much more defensive frame was played to a stalemate, and Minot went into the second pause in action still behind 2-0. The Minotauros kept up with their opponents a bit better in the middle period, though, as the team was credited with eight shots on goal to Aberdeen’s eleven.

The Minotauros controlled much of the third period, recording seven of the first eight total shots of the frame, and finally found the back of the net on their twenty-fifth shot of the game. Tyler Kostelecky potted his first goal of the season to halve the Wings’ lead with 4:36 left on the clock.

Minot could not muster much else on offense, though, and despite a perfect 4-for-4 night on the penalty kill, it dropped its seventh straight game by a 3-1 final score after an Aberdeen empty net goal.

The night did see one unfortunate Minotauros streak come to an end. The two goals allowed by Rancier halted a six-game stretch that saw at least three goals allowed in each game by the Minotauros goaltender.

Minot will attempt to put the losing streak to bed in their next scheduled contest Jan. 29 against St. Cloud at Maysa Arena. Puck drop is slated for 8:05 p.m.