Mason City, IA- In their final home game of the calendar year, the Mason City Toros hosted an entertaining game against the Willmar WarHawks in which they fell 4-2.
The opening stanza saw two significant interruptions. The first was the longest one was caused after a collision at the Toro’s bench resulted in a shattered and ultimately replaced pane of glass in the door between the Toro’s bench and the penalty box. The second was when Tootoo Fotheringham took a hard shot off his face and left the ice. these slowdowns resulted in a first period that lasted an hour, despite seeing no goals.
Both teams got on the scoreboard in the second period. Mason City native Dominic Despenas opened the scoring 3:52 into the second. That lead held for 35 seconds as Tyler Misialek potted the first of his three goals on the game. The Fargo, ND, native’s second goal came on a power play with 4:06 left in the frame and put Willmar ahead with one period left.
Marcus Fritel answered the goal with one of his own in the third period to tie the game. And Mason City threatened to take the lead multiple times in the third period, in which they outshot Willmar 15-8. But they could not get another goal through the pads of Kai Girard, who stopped 35 of 37 shots in the game. Instead, Willmar capitalized on two breakout plays for two goals. Misialek scored his hat trick goal with 5:04 left in regulation. 37 seconds later, Luke McCarthy ripped a puck off the post an into the pipe to put the score at 4-2.
Devin Peck recorded 29 saves on 33 shots faced.
The Toros hit the road for a Friday night game on December 15th in Rochester against the Grizzlies for their last divisional game before the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, MN.