Norwegian Junior Side Takes on Mason City Toros Sunday
September 9, 2022 – North American Hockey League (NAHL) – North Iowa Bulls News Release
MASON CITY, Iowa – The Mason City Arena has been a busy place for far-flung visitors this week. The Corpus Christi IceRays stopped in for a preseason visit against the North Iowa Bulls on Wednesday night, and Sunday afternoon, the nation of Norway will be represented in the River City.
NTG Asker, the junior team affiliated with Norwegian professional club Frisk Asker, will square off with the Toros in Mason City’s only preseason matchup before their regular-season visit to the Minnesota Loons next week. Toros head coach Nick Bruneteau has indirect ties to the club, playing against them frequently during a 2015-16 season spent with the Norwegian league rival Stavanger Oilers.
Preseason ticket discounts, raffles and a meet-and-greet mark the special occasion for this Scandinavian showdown – tickets for this game are just $5 for adults and $3 for kids under the age of 13 and are available at the door on game day. Mason City Youth Hockey players will be admitted free when wearing their youth hockey jerseys.
While at the game, fans can enter to win a 10-pack of flex tickets, and can purchase season tickets for 10 percent off the listed price. The team will also raffle a Toros jersey at the end of their home opener on October 7, but fans who attend Sunday’s game will receive a free advance entry into that raffle. Sunday’s spectators will also get a chance to reconnect with their favorite North Iowa players and meet the newest players in town at a postgame meet-and-greet.
To purchase advance tickets to upcoming Mason City Toros home games, call 641-423-4625 or click here. Updated news and information on Mason City Toros hockey are always available at www.masoncitytoros.com, and by following the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
FRISK ASKER U20
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ROSTER | STATS September 11, 2022 – 1:00 p.m.
Mason City Arena
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TOROS
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MAP TO ARENA | WATCH ($) | LISTEN (FREE) | LIVE STATS (not available)
IN A NUTSHELL: Mason City welcomes a first-time visitor from Europe for their only preseason test ahead of next weekend’s home opener in Minnesota.
THE SCENE-SETTER: The Toros come into 2022-23 with designs on improving on an excellent “inaugural” campaign after rebranding last summer. Last year’s team went 33-13-1, taking second place in the North American 3 Hockey League’s West Division behind eventual Fraser Cup runner-up Granite City. Mason City took their archrivals to a decisive third game in the West Division Finals, falling 6-2 behind a hat trick from Nick Richert.
KNOW YOUR FOE: Frisk Asker’s U20 program is making its first visit to Mason City, but the team is used to touring the Midwest on occasion, with recent visits to Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Faribault, Minnesota and Augsburg University in Minneapolis. Last year’s group finished seventh in the Norges Ishockeyforbund’s junior division, going 15-20 with a 3-2 record in overtime games. Most of the team’s players, of course, hail from Norway – however, last year’s top scorer is a Swedish native, with Johan Albert notching 40 goals in 34 games before moving back to his home country to continue his junior career this year. Only one player on last year’s team was a 2002-born player.
ROCK IT, THEN RESTOCK IT: The Toros’ roster is almost set for the upcoming season, though the team has a little reloading to do on the forward lines. Six of the top seven scorers from last season have departed, with Carter Newpower moving on to the North Iowa Bulls in the North American Hockey League and Sota Isogai graduating to the East Hokkaido Cranes of Japan’s professional Asia League. The top scorer back from last year is forward Cullen Hogan, who wrapped up the regular season with 41 points. This year’s team has a significant amount of returning talent, with eight forwards back including Dylan Duckson, who missed all but six games with injuries. 10 players are on the preseason roster at the blue line, giving Nick Bruneteau’s bunch plenty to pick from heading into the regular season.
SNEAK PREVIEW: This game is the second preseason game for the Toros in as many seasons, making their first appearance on the ice against the Wausau Cyclones last season. Carter Newpower’s two goals and eight saves from winning goaltender Erik Chaffe keyed a 7-3 win over the Cyclones on a day in which the Mason City power play went 2-for-3.
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