January 19, 2023 – North American Hockey League (NAHL) – Minot Minotauros Information Launch
by Ken Oda
Minot, ND – The Minot Minotauros are proud to announce that forwards Colby Joseph and Justin Dauphinais together with defenseman Nick O’Hanisain have been chosen to symbolize the Tauros as members of Group Central on the NAHL Prime Prospects Match. Prime Prospects will happen in Pittsburgh, PA, February sixth and seventh.
Group Central will tackle Group East at 4:00 p.m. on the opening day and Group South at 11:00 a.m. on the second day. Not like in years previous when there have been “Selects” groups that includes extra youthful or already NCAA dedicated gamers this yr there’ll solely be the 4 divisional groups restricted to gamers whom should not but dedicated to NCAA colleges. Roster spots had been assigned based mostly on every workforce’s place within the standings. Which suggests for the Central Division roster, the Austin Bruins ship 4 gamers, the Aberdeen Wings, Minot Minotauros, and North Iowa Bulls will every ship three, and the St. Cloud Norsemen and Bismarck Bobcats will every ship two. The pinnacle coach of the Central workforce will likely be Steve Howard from the Austin Bruins and the assistant coach will likely be Scott Langer from the Aberdeen Wings.
Joseph mentioned “It is an enormous honour! It is an ideal alternative for myself and others. But in addition an ideal alternative to symbolize Minot and the Central Division.” Joseph leads the Tauros with 5 energy play targets this season and has 30 targets in his NAHL profession. The second yr ahead is sixth general on the Tauros with 18 factors on the season (7 targets 11 assists). Tauros Head Coach/Normal Supervisor Cody Campbell mentioned of Joseph, “Colby’s presence on the facility play and his willingness to get to the robust areas of the ice makes him troublesome for our opponents to play in opposition to.”
Dauphinais agrees with Joseph saying, “being picked for the highest prospect is an honour and privilege. I am excited to have the chance to showcase myself and symbolize the central division.” Campbell factors to Dauphinais’s progress as a part of why he’s headed to Pittsburgh, “Justin’s pace and knack across the web as been extremely necessary to our workforce this yr. He additionally has continued to enhance and lift his stage of play all through the course of the season.” Dauphinais is third on the Tauros with 26 factors (11 targets 15 assists).
Nick O’Hanisain echoed Joseph and Dauphinais, “an unimaginable honor to get chosen to go and to have the chance to play in entrance of all these scouts that will likely be in attendance!” Via 32 video games performed this season O’Hanisain has eight targets and 16 assists for twenty-four complete factors. He’s simply 14 factors from tying Sam Skinner for the Tauros all-time document for defenseman factors and three targets from matching Cole Mickel’s franchise mark of 11 targets by a defenseman in a single season. O’Hanisain is at the moment fifth general within the NAHL amongst factors by defensemen. Whereas the offensive numbers soar off the web page Campbell factors out O’Hanisain’s worth goes past that, “”Nick has been a gradual offensive contributor on the backend for us this yr and has additionally been one in every of our most reliable gamers defensively.”
As for taking part in with Bobcats, Wings, and gamers from the remainder of the Central not one of the Tauros appear too fearful about it. “With the division rivals, we’re all there for a similar factor in getting a scholarship so I feel we’ll put our variations apart and get a job carried out and placed on a present,” mentioned O’Hanisain. Joseph agreed that “all of us are striving to succeed in the identical particular person targets,” however added, “It positively will likely be bizarre off the beginning for certain, however after you play guys as many instances as we do you achieve a respect for one another.” Dauphinais added that when they get previous the “awkward” feeling of being within the room collectively there’s a probability it could assist cool a number of the rivalries, “if something enjoying with one another will simply develop our mutual respect for one another.”
Finally as all three identified the objective at Prime Prospects is to safe the chance to play on the NCAA stage. Campbell believes all three have what it takes, “we’re excited for the chance that these guys have earned and stay up for watching them preform in Pittsburg and proceed on there path in the direction of division 1 hockey.”
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