The Minnesota Magicians begin a 3-game road trip this week after splitting a home & home series with Austin last Weekend. Last Friday night at Riverside Arena, the Magicians lost for the first time against the Bruins this season. The following night the Magicians rebounded on home ice in the rematch with Austin, winning in front of a great Military Appreciation Night crowd at Richfield Ice Arena.
Weekend Recap:
Friday
On Friday night at Riverside Arena, the Magicians looked to continue their season-long 4-game winning streak against the Bruins. Forward Casey Jerry got things started for the Magicians with a first period goal assisted by Michael Wilson and Mitch Slattery to make the score 1-0. Jerry's goal was the only scoring of the period.
In the second, Austin didn't take long to get on the board. Less than two minutes into the period, the Bruins tied the game with a powerplay goal. Later in the second, two more goals in quick succession increased the Austin lead to 3-1. The Magicians responded with a goal by Michael Wilson assisted by Casey Jerry and Pierce Crawford to make the score 3-2 heading into the final period.
In the third, Austin added 3 more goals to pull away and secure a 6-2 victory. Both Magicians goaltenders saw action in the game, with Will Ulrich stopping 30 out of 35 shots, and Daniil Gerasimov stopping 5 of 6 shots faced.
Saturday
In the Saturday rematch at Richfield Ice Arena, it was Military Appreciation Night presented by APi Group Inc. The Magicians wore specialty camouflage jerseys for the game, which were made available for purchase to the public after the game.
In the first period, the Magicians got the scoring started once again as West Point commit Michael Wilson got a goal assisted by Casey Jerry and Pierce Crawford. The goal would be the only scoring in the game until the third period, when Prior Lake native Tyler Bump scored a goal assisted by Braxton Collins and Johnny Panvica to increase the Magicians lead to 2-0. Magicians goaltender Will Ulrich was a brick wall for the entire game to backstop the team, as he kept Austin off the board for nearly 60-minutes until they were able to sneak one with only 19 seconds remaining in the game. Still, Ulrich did enough to earn a 2-1 victory for the Magicians, making 40 saves on 41 shots in the process.
Up next for the Magicians is another game against the Austin Bruins on Wednesday March 2nd at Riverside Arena. After that, the team will travel to Aberdeen, South Dakota to face off against the Wings on Friday and Saturday. The Wings are currently vying against the Magicians for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division.