The Minot Minotauros won’t be playing postseason hockey this year, but they still managed to go out on a high note, knocking off the rival Bismarck Bobcats, 4-3, in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, April 11, at the VFW Sports Center.

Philip Wiklund, Chase Pavlesich, Dane Ramirez and Will Nolan all netted goals for the Tauros The teams traded goals in the first period and in the first half of the second period before Ramirez gave the Tauros (23-31-5) the lead for good at 3-2 with 8:40 remaining in the middle stanza.

Nolan increased Minot’s lead to 4-2 in the first minute of the third period before Bismarck’s Theodore Richardson netted his second goal of the contest to draw the Bobcats to within a goal with just over 15 minutes remaining in regulation.

Minot goaltender Brian Cooke stopped 26 shots and 15 in the third period to preserve the lead and the victory for the Tauros. Minot held a 30-29 edge in shots on goal. Bismarck’s Bryce Francisco finished with 26 saves.

The Bobcats (39-15-5) took the series opener, 7-5, the night before, rallying from a three-goal deficit halfway through the contest. Peter Murray got the Tauros on the board early, scoring the game’s first goal 1:58 into the game. Ramirez registered his first of two goals of the game with 8:55 left in the opening frame to give the Tauros a 2-0 lead after one.

After Jimmy Dodig got Bismarck on the board, Ramirez netted his second and Davin Nichols scored Minot’s lone power-play goal to push the advantage to 4-1 at 5:52 of the second period.

The Bobcats rallied with six unanswered goals. Camden Alemond and Mark Evans lit the lamp before the end of the second period and Alex Lunski tied the contest on the power play 25 seconds into the third. Dodig’s second goal of the game put Bismarck in front and Will Harker and George Poirier added some insurance. Minot’s Evan Foiles scored on the power play with 42 seconds left, but the Tauros ran out of time for a late comeback.

Chase Anderson finished with 27 saves on 33 shots faced for Minot. The Tauros chased Bismarck starting goaltender Eva Hazelberg less than six minutes into the second period after allowing his fourth goal in 13 shots. Francisco went the final 34:08, stopping 13 of 14 shots he faced.

Minot finished seventh in the eight-team Central Division with 51 points, missing out on the playoffs for just the third time in the franchise’s history that dates back to the 2011-12 season. The Tauros missed the playoffs that season as well as in 2021-22. The 51 points is tied for their second-fewest in a season.

The Austin Bruins won the Central Division regular season title with 90 points. Bismarck finished second with 83 points, followed closely by Aberdeen with 80. Watertown qualified for the postseason for the first time in just its second season with 67 points, six points in front of North Iowa.

Ty James led the Tauros in scoring with 39 points on 12 goals and 27 assists in his final season with the team. Wiklund was second with 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists), followed by Briggs Knott with eight goals and 27 assists for 35 points.