Ryan Ladika/MDN Dean Schwenninger searches for a scoring chance during the Minotauros’ Oct. 22 shootout win over the Austin Bruins.

The Minot Minotauros paid no mind to an early deficit Saturday evening, completing their second consecutive sweep of the Austin Bruins with five unanswered goals in the team’s 5-1 victory at Riverside Arena.

Minot entered the evening’s action a game north of .500 in the month of November, boasting wins in three of its previous four games against the Aberdeen Wings, St. Cloud Norsemen and Bruins.

Goaltender Zach Sandy has taken center stage during the Minotauros’ recent hot streak as well, earning the start in each of Minot’s six games in November counting Saturday’s tilt. With 30 saves on 31 shots in the Minotauros’ latest win, the netminder has saved 190 of 202 total shots to come his way this month, good for a sterling .941 save percentage.

The Bruins broke the ice first against Sandy and his Minotauros with Ocean Wallace’s power play goal that came with just two seconds remaining on Minot’s penalty kill 4:27 into the affairs.

Unfazed, Braden Panzer helped create the scoring chance for Minot to even the game. Seconds later, he brought the puck around Hudson Hodges’ net for a wraparound try but was denied. The puck squeaked out to the waiting stick of Tom Fridén on the near side of the crease who hastily flicked it past a late Hodges blocking attempt to tie the game at one.

Fridén earned his second goal of the season on the play and his third point in as many games. The assist credited to Panzer marked the third of his young campaign as well.

The early goal was the lone score Sandy would surrender, as the Fargo, North Dakota native earned the eighth win in his last 10 games with saves on 12 of the Bruins’ 13 first-period shots, followed by perfect second and third frames with 18 more saves.

The netminder’s strong run of late comes after he was left frustrated by losses in four of his first five appearances of the season, and Sandy has now made at least 30 saves in each of his last four starts while allowing only five total goals in that span, including one shutout.

Joe Westlund found the back of the net just 3:29 into the middle frame to give Minot its first lead of the evening, marking his third goal of the young season, and would score his second of the night 5:17 into the third to pad the Minotauros’ advantage.

Colby Joseph and Zack Simon also tallied their sixth and 11th goals of the year, respectively, in the third period to help put the contest out of reach for the Bruins.

With the winning effort, Minot now holds a 5-1-0-0 record and a +9 goal differential against their Minnesotan division rivals, representing its best record against any one team since the Sept. 15-18 season-opening NAHL Showcase.

The Minotauros will return to the Maysa Arena Wednesday evening for one game against the Bismarck Bobcats with an early 6:05 p.m. puck drop before hitting the road once again for the Odde Ice Center in Aberdeen, where Minot will close out the month with a pair against the Wings Nov. 26-27.