Beavers drop tournament opener 3-1 to Adrian College

MINOT, N.D. – The pregame excitement around Maysa Arena was palpable for the Minot State Beavers’ historic ACHA Women’s Division I National Tournament opener, but the Beavers sputtered to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Adrian College Bulldogs Thursday afternoon.

The Beavers, taking the ice in the second of three games as part of the tournament-opening pool play, became the first team to participate in a national tournament hosted on their home ice. During a March 31 press conference, Captain Sami Jo Henry said the team’s mindset going into the big dance centered around slowing the game down and focusing on winning one period at a time.

Minot State had faced Adrian only three times prior to the Thursday matchup, winning the first meeting between the two programs 3-2 Jan. 16, 2020 before splitting a two-game set earlier this season. In the fourth contest, the Beavers’ measured approach paid off early on.

Both defenses were stout following the opening puck drop, as both clubs were unable to record a shot on net for the first four minutes of play. The Beavers broke through in the shot column first a tick over four minutes into the affairs.

The game’s opening tally followed a little over a minute later. Beavers forward Haley Wickham received a pass in the middle of the high slot and ripped the puck past freshman netminder Halle Faulkner five minutes and 25 seconds into the initial frame.

The score was Wickham’s third of the season and gave her four points in her last four games. Camryn Clyne and Alisha O’Hara were credited with assists on the scoring play, giving them four and three helpers on the season, respectively.

“We did a really good job of possessing the puck today, and firing pucks on net,” head coach Ryan Miner said of the Beavers’ performance in the offensive zone. “I’ll give it to their goalie, she made some incredible saves.”

Indeed, Faulkner did not let the early tally shake her confidence. Minot State peppered the Truro, Nova Scotia native with a total of 38 shots when it was all said and done, including a 14-shot second frame, but Faulkner stood on her head and turned all but one aside.

The Bulldogs scored a goal in each period, their first coming with eight minutes and 56 seconds left in the first on a fluttering wrist shot that found its way between Minot State goaltender Jordan Ivanco’s shin blocker pads. Their second came on a beauty of a wrist shot from Kat Robinson skating across the center of the high slot almost seven minutes into the second period. The third came after Ivanco had abandoned the crease in favor of the extra attacker with 29 seconds remaining in the contest to seal the Beavers’ 3-1 defeat.

“At the end of the day, we couldn’t score and that’s what cost us,” Miner added. “We’re firing pucks on net, but we didn’t get the rebounds we wanted, and that’s what we’re going to have to work on going into tomorrow’s game. Their defense made good plays, they got the puck on their sticks and they got it out of the zone as quick as they could, but at the end of the day, Faulkner was their back-end strength and she was the one who held on for them and got them that win.”

Minot State will now turn its attention to Midland University Friday afternoon in the second of its three pool play contests. The Beavers faced off with the Warriors six times during the regular season and emerged with the victory on every occasion, outscoring Midland 18-9 in the season series. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Maysa Arena.

Midland, meanwhile, will be looking to build off a convincing 3-0 victory over McKendree University minutes before Minot State’s contest began Thursday afternoon. Top-seeded Liberty University also recorded a dominant win in its first round opener, shutting out Lindenwood University 4-0 in the third and final game of the day.

Lindenwood will square off against Adrian at 10 a.m. Friday morning, and Liberty will face McKendree at 4 p.m. following the Beavers’ matchup with Midland.

Beavers drop tournament opener 3-1 to Adrian College

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Beavers drop tournament opener 3-1 to Adrian College

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