Mike Kraft/MDN Minot United’s Brady Grosz battles for a loose puck in front of Jamestown goaltender Leif Hanson (1) and Ayden Ness during the third period of a WDA contest at Maysa Arena on Thursday, Dec. 4.

Minot United beat Jamestown at its own game.

The Blue Jays entered Thursday’s WDA tilt scoring six of its seven goals in the third period over the course of their first two games this season, netting three in each contest. It wasn’t Jamestown that put up a crooked number in the final frame on Dec. 4, but rather Minot United.

Landon Slind scored a pair of goals and Tate Haugenoe added another late as Minot United netted three third-period goals to pull away from the Blue Jays, 6-1, at Maysa Arena for its third consecutive win. Jamestown failed to score in the final 17 minutes of the contest.

“We’ve just been finding our identity a lot better,” Slind said. “We had to figure that out our first weekend and we’ve found that I think we’re going to get a lot better.”

Leading 3-1 headed into the third period, Minot United knew Jamestown was still well in striking distance. Minot United also had to deal with a five-minute penalty kill to open the final stanza after Nick Christopher was assessed a boarding major penalty at the very end of the second period. Minot United killed off the penalty and promptly added salt to the wounds with Slind’s first tally of the net soon after returning to full strength. Keller Schmeichel found Slind in front of the net and Slind blasted a shot past Jamestown goaltender Leif Hanson for the goal.

“We all did good and we were all working hard,” Slind said. “We all just played to our best ability.”

Slind added his second of the night four minutes later, stealing the puck from a Jamestown skater near the defensive blue line, skating up ice and going glove-side to put Minot United up 5-1.

“He was good,” Minot United co-head coach Jason Bennett said. “He’s another one of those young sophomores we’ve got. That whole line has been pretty good for us this year. HE just worked really hard and sometimes when you work really hard you get rewarded.”

Haugenoe added Minot United’s sixth goal of the night to tie a season high mark for the team in goals scored. Haugenoe knocked home a rebound off an initial shot from Nick Christopher.

Minot United (3-2-0 overall, 2-0-0-0 WDA) found its offense as the game got going, but it relied on goaltender Luke Richeson in the beginning. In a span of just a few minutes in the first period, Richeson got run into by a Jamestown skater and then stood tall in net and stonewalled a breakaway attempt.

Playing its third game in six days, Minot United got off to a sluggish start. Minot United went the first six minutes of the contest without a shot on net. Meanwhile, Jamestown had its best scoring chance of the first period with John Belzer getting behind the defense on a breakaway. Richeson was up for the challenge, corralling the shot into his midsection to keep the game scoreless.

“He played pretty well for being a young kid,” Bennett said. “It’s only his second varsity game. We’re pretty impressed with that. He was pretty calm and collected there and he made some saves in the first that kept us in the lead and that’s huge for a sophomore to come in and do that.”

Minutes prior to stopping Belzer’s breakaway attempt, it was unknown whether Richeson would still be in net after getting barreled into by Jamestown’s Bennett Goehner and getting knocked back into the moorings. After a minute or two to collect himself, Richeson got back to his feet and remained in the game.

Minot United would need Richeson later, but for the rest of the opening period, they would give their goaltender a breather by keeping the puck in their offensive zone. Heavy pressure led to two goals over a five-minute stretch before the first intermission. Christopher lit the lamp at 8:32 of the frame for his first goal of the season. Christopher fired a slap shot from above the faceoff circle that deflected off the glove of Hanson and into the back of the net to put Minot United in front.

Minot United doubled its lead before the intermission. Michael Ell took a pass from Richeson’s brother, Cole, and went low glove side to beat Hanson with 3:25 remaining in the opening period.

Luke Richeson finished with 15 saves, helping to kill off a brief 5-on-3 power play for the Blue Jays (1-2-0-0, 1-1-0-0) as well as the five-minute boarding major to open the third period. Minot United is now a perfect 16-for-16 on the penalty kill this season.

“Kids are just in the right spot,” Bennett said. “We’re blocking some shots and your goalie has to be your best penalty killer and they have been this year. Special teams overall was pretty good tonight.”

Minot United plays at Bottineau/Rugby on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m.