The Minot Minotauros and North Iowa Bulls played a game of leap frog in the standings after the two teams split their two-game series over the weekend in Mason City, Iowa.

Minot and North Iowa entered their weekend series tied for fifth place in the Central Division standings with 23 points, although the Bulls had the tiebreaker due to more overall victories on the season. The Tauros took sole possession of fifth place following Friday’s 3-2 win in overtime on Evan Foiles’ game-winner at 2:55 of the extra stanza.

The following day, North Iowa scored three unanswered goals, including two in the third period to grab a 4-3 victory and earn three points on the weekend to jump over the Minotauros in the standings by a point. Minot’s loss snapped its three-game winning streak.

Friday’s contest was a defensive battle through two periods, with neither team able to solve the opposing goaltender. That changed in the third period, as the two teams each scored a pair of goals to send the game into overtime. North Iowa (12-14-2) opened the scoring on the power play when Fugi Suzuki lit the lamp 52 seconds into the stanza. Michal Solominsky answered for Minot a minute later and Owen Dawson gave the Tauros the lead with 11:15 remaining.

The Bulls forced overtime with just 1:34 left in the regulation while on the power play. Vitaliy Korolyuk scored his 11th goal of the season to ensure at least a point for his team for forcing the extra session.

Foiles sent the Tauros (11-14-3) home a winner, with Philip Wiklund and Ty James earning the assists on the game-winning goal.

Brian Cooke recorded 40 saves to earn the win in net for the Tauros.

The Tauros squandered a two-goal lead on Saturday. A power-play goal by Artem Prima with 9:09 left in the second period gave the Tauros a 3-1 advantage and a golden opportunity to complete the road sweep. But the Bulls responded with three unanswered goals. Korolyuk scored his second of the season to cut the deficit in half going into the second intermission and Carter Davis tied the contest early in the third. Suzuki netted his second of the contest and 15th of the season with 12:07 left, which turned out to be the difference.

The Tauros travel to Bismarck to battle with the Bobcats on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 7:15 p.m.