The Minot Minotauros entered the weekend with a chance to jump Watertown in the standings and take over the fourth and final playoff spot out of the Central Division.

Instead, the Tauros fell further behind, swept at the hands of the Shamrocks over the weekend. Minot dropped a 3-0 decision on Friday, Jan. 30, before Watertown completed the sweep with a 4-2 win on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena.

The Tauros (15-20-4) put 37 shots on Watertown goaltender Mason Gudridge on Friday, but the Shamrocks’ netminder kept everything in front of him, handing Minot its fourth shutout loss of the season.

Brody Josselyn put the Shamrocks (20-15-1) on the board 2:19 into the contest with assists from Kyle Greene and Joe Rice. Rice assisted on all three goals, while Greene added a goal of his own halfway through the second period to give Watertown a 2-0 lead.

Payton Struck added an empty-net goal with 46 seconds left in regulation.

Chase Anderson suffered the loss in net for the Tauros, finishing with 20 saves.

The Tauros battled back from two one-goal deficits on Saturday, but the Shamrocks scored the final two markers of the game to complete the sweep.

Ivan Sidorov answered a goal from Rice to tie the game 1-1 after the first period and Mackley Morelli did the same in the second period after Greene gave the Shamrocks a 2-1 lead two minutes into the second period.

Zach Boren put Watertown in front for good, scoring with 3:36 left in the second period. Antons MacIjevskis gave the Shamrocks a two-goal cushion with a power-play goal with just over a minute left in the regulation.

Rice finished with a goal and six assists in the series.

The Tauros travel to Aberdeen for a weekend series with the Wings beginning on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7:15 p.m.