Cal Levis and Carter Newpower both scored twice as the Mason City Toros defeated the Alexandria Blizzard, 8-5, on Saturday afternoon at Mason City Arena.
The Toros scored multiple goals in every period, including three in both the second and third periods en route to a win in their first regular-season game in franchise history. Mason City only trailed for 2:45 and that came in the first period of a game where six different Toros found the back of the net.
Newpower and Levis scored their goals at key moments. The duo ended the first period with consecutive goals to send the Toros into the first intermission with the lead. Newpower tapped in a slick feed from Sota Isogai and then Levis took a stretch pass and split two defenders with 10.9 seconds left in the first period.
In the third, Newpower and Levis came through in successive order again. The Blizzard cut the deficit to one at 4:24 but Newpower took a long stretch pass from across the ice and calm flicked one over the shoulder of Bailey Rosch to make it 7-5, Toros. Levis picked up his second of the game on a fortuitous bounce that he backhanded from behind the net just in front of Rosch but it hit a defender’s stick and ended up in the net for the 13th combined goal of the night.
Jack Campion scored the first goal in Toros history at the 7:55 mark in the first period on a slick wrist shot from the left wing circle. However, the Blizzard tied the game a minute later before taking the lead on a penalty shot at 15:01. The Toros stormed back with two late goals to take the lead.
Ryan Kaspar opened the second period with a goal after forcing a turnover and then scored an unassisted marker. Brendan Sloth pinched late in the period and deked his way to a nifty backhand goal and his defensive linemate Easton Tok added a goal 1:02 later on some slick tic-tac-toe passing.
The Toros outshot the Blizzard 36-25, including 25-15 in the final two periods. Reilly Eason turned aside 20-of-25 shots in net.
The Toros look to take both games of the weekend set against the Blizzard when they face them again at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Mason City Arena. Tickets can be purchased at masoncitytoros.com/tickets or at the arena.
