Shota Kaneko and Luke Stevens scored but the Mason City Toros fell to the Granite City Lumberjacks, 4-2, on Friday night at the Mason City Arena.
The Toros lost at home for the first at home since Nov. 26. Mason City won eight consecutive games at home between then and Friday.
Granite City scored twice in the first period and twice again in the second to pick up the victory. The Lumberjacks scored five seconds into a power play 4:19 into the game to take a lead that they would not relinquish. Mason City appeared to have tied the game up early in the third as Ethan Peterson whacked home a loose puck to make it 2-2, but the goal was quickly taken away after it was ruled that the puck was played with a hand pass. Granite City scored shortly after to make it 3-2.
Kaneko scored late in the first to cut the deficit in half. Stevens struck in the third on a six-on-four power play with the Toros’ net empty.
Mason City looks to conclude the regular season with a victory on Saturday as it faces Granite City again at 7:30 p.m. The postseason begins on Thursday when the Toros host the Willmar WarHawks in Game 1 of the West Division Semifinals at 7 p.m. Game 2 is in Willmar the next night, March 11, at Willmar at 7:10 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will be at the Mason City Arena on March 13 at 4 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday at masoncitytoros.com.
