BOSTON, Mass. (MSU)– Timing is everything, ask anyone. Better yet, ask the Minot State women’s hockey team who scored just its second win this winter over rival Midland in eight tries this season, but the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Battling in a scoreless deadlock into the third period, senior All-American Jordan Kulbida broke the tie for the third-ranked Beavers who then hung on for a 1-0 upset of second-ranked Midland, sending Minot State into the ACHA National Championship game today at Noon (CT). The Beavers will play top-ranked Liberty (Va.) for the ACHA National Championship. Minot State will be playing in its third title game, the first since the 2018-19 season, and will be looking for its first women’s hockey national championship.

 

Minot State (24-10-2 overall) earned its title shot with stingy defense and determination as Haylie Biever turned aside all 36 shots she faced from Midland, her second shutout of the season. With the game scoreless early in the third period, Kulbida netted her fifth goal of the national tournament and the lone goal of the game with 5 minutes, 36 seconds gone in the stanza off a Sydney Spicer assist. And that was the game. From there the determined Beavers held tough, fending off the Warriors for the shutout win, a very timely Minot State victory, the team’s first against Midland since a 4-3 overtime win back in December.

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MINOT STATE MEN’S HOCKEY

 

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. (MSU) – The Beavers survived a thriller, but the key is, they survived. Troy Hamilton scored 12 minutes, 8 seconds into overtime, lifting the No. 1 Minot State men’s hockey team to a 4-3 win over eighth-ranked Indiana Tech in the quarterfinals of the ACHA National Tournament on Sunday night. With the win the Beavers advance to face a familiar foe in Liberty (Va.) in the semifinals tonight at 7 p.m. (CT). The two teams met four times this season with Minot State winning three of the four contests.

 

After rolling to an opening 8-0 win at nationals on Friday night, it look like things would be easy for the Beavers again Sunday as Reece Henry and Drew Carter scored 19 seconds apart midway through the first period. With Minot State set to break the game open, instead, Indiana Tech goalie Ty Barnhill clamped down, allowing just one early third-period goal to the Beavers and setting his team up for a comeback. Barnhill finished with 45 saves. Indiana Tech’s comeback started as the Warriors scored with 6:33 left in first, then they netted the lone goal of the second period, sending the game into the third period tied 2-2. Minot State (33-3-0 overall) tried to break free as Carter Barley scored a power-play goal with 4:37 gone in the third, but a determined Warrior squad tied it with 3:11 left in regulation to force overtime. Equally determined, Minot State thwarted Indiana Tech’s upset intentions as Jake Anthony made three overtime saves before Hamilton netted the winner with 12:08 gone in the extra session and sent the Beavers into the semifinals. Davis Sheldon and Connor Navrot assisted on the OT winner, while Reid Arnold, Josh Pederson, Landyn Cochrane, Joey Moffatt, Christian Kadolph, and Barley added assists on the other Minot State goals in the win.

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MINOT STATE BASEBALL

 

ST. GEORGE, Kan. (MSU) – The long road trip to Kansas didn’t throw off the Minot State baseball team (11-3 overall, 2-0 NSIC), which opened NSIC play Sunday sweeping a doubleheader from Sioux Falls, beating the Cougars 10-3 and 12-4 in the neutral-site contests at Rock Creek Senior High School. Brent Riddle led the offensive, going 4-for-9 in the twinbill with 3 RBIs in each win while Trevyn Badger picked up the game one win striking out 10 Sioux Falls batters, and Bryant Bagshaw won game No. 2 with 6 Ks on the mound. The two teams meet again today to wrap up the three-game NSIC series with the first pitch scheduled for Noon in Kansas.

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MINOT STATE WOMEN’S SOFTBALL

 

MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Needing the opportunity to get game action before opening league play next week, the Minot State softball team proved to be unstoppable this weekend, finishing off a four-game sweep of visiting Regina with back-to-back five-inning wins on Sunday at the Air-Supported Dome on the Minot State campus. Calley Olsen dominated in the circle in the first game, an 8-0, 5-inning mercy-rule win for the Beavers who plated five in their final at-bat, then Izzy Penner and Brooklyn Morrison teamed up to plate five of Minot State’s runs in a 9-0, 5-inning win to close out the series. The Beavers now look to build on the weekend’s momentum when they open NSIC play next Tuesday, March 28, hosting the University of Mary in a doubleheader scheduled for Noon. The games will be played at either the South Hill Softball complex or in the Air-Supported Dome on the MSU campus.

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UND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

 

LEXINGTON, K.Y. (UND) – The University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks (19-13) fall in the consolation championship game of the WBI Tournament 76-73 against Florida International University (14-19). Kacie Borowicz led all scorers with 19. She also led with nine rebounds and six assists. Claire Orth score 17 and joined the 1,000-point club. She ends her Fighting Hawks career with 142 games and 1,004 points. Juliet Gordon had 15 points and had eight rebounds. The first three minutes of the opening frame UND and FIU traded baskets till the Panthers pulled away in the middle minutes. North Dakota fought hard in the first quarter to come back from a 18-9 deficit to end the quarter 20-16. The Hawks kept pushing in the second quarter to come within two at the media timeout, 32-30. North Dakota ended the with Borowicz making two free throws to bring them within four to end the quarter 37-33. The third quarter the Hawks tied the at 43, 45 and 47 before the Panthers would pull away to end up six, 59-53. The fourth quarter North Dakota battled hard to bridge the six-point gap. They would take the led by one point twice at 5:44 and 1:10 left in the game. However, final three seconds of the game Maggie Manson three-point shot fell just wide, 76-73.

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WILD-CAPITALS

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy recorded his second career hat trick and the Minnesota Wild rebounded to beat Washington 5-3 on Sunday. Minnesota, which had its 14-game point-streak end Saturday against Boston, is within one point of Dallas for the Central Division lead and two points up on Colorado for second with a dozen games to play. Ryan Reaves and Brandon Duhaime also scored, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 33 saves for Minnesota, improving to 7-0-0 in his last seven starts. Alex Ovechkin scored twice on the power play for Washington. The Wild are at New Jersey on Tuesday.

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MINNESOTA UNITED

 

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Miguel Tapias scored in the 82nd minute to rally Minnesota United to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Tapias scored the match-winner off a pass from Franco Fragapane, giving Minnesota United (2-0-1) its first road win over the Rapids. Minnesota entered play with an 0-5-1 mark in Colorado. Neither team scored until Cole Bassett found the net in the 49th minute to give Colorado (0-3-1) a 1-0 lead. It was the Rapids’ first goal of the season. Only the 2015 Rapids and Toronto (2007) have gone scoreless in four matches to open a season. Luis Amarilla scored the equalizer for Minnesota United on a penalty kick in the 54th minute.

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NFL-THIELEN

 

UNDATED (AP) – The Carolina Panthers have added yet another experienced veteran to their offense on Sunday night, agreeing to terms with free agent wide receiver Adam Thielen from the Minnesota Vikings. The 32-year-old Thielen was released earlier this offseason after spending the past nine seasons with the Vikings. The 32-year-old Thielen was released earlier this offseason after spending the past nine seasons with the Vikings, where he caught 534 passes for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns in 135 games. Thielen caught 70 passes last season for 716 yards and six touchdowns while paired with All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The Panthers were in need of adding experience in the wide receiver room after trading D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears. Last week the Panthers agreed to terms with running back Miles Sanders, tight end Hayden Hurst and quarterback Andy Dalton, providing the offense more experience at the skill positions.