MINOT – Riding a three-game win streak that started with a road upset of top-ranked Liberty, the Minot State women’s hockey team jumped to No. 2 in this week’s ACHA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey Poll.
Meanwhile, a road split for the top-ranked Minot State men’s team didn’t hurt the Beavers as they remained No. 1 in this week’s ACHA Division I men’s poll.
The No. 2 ranking is the highest for the Minot State women this season as the Beavers have consistently been ranked in the Top 5 in the nation. The Beavers (17-8-1 overall) trail just No. 1-ranked Liberty (Va.), who Minot State beat 4-3 on January 28.
The Beavers also have wins over the other teams in the top five, having beaten No. 3 Midland 4-3 in overtime on December 3, besting No. 4 Indiana Tech 5-0 on January 14, and topping No. 5 Adrian 2-1 on January 6.
The Minot State women host Lindenwood (Mo.) this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 3:45 p.m. at Maysa Arena for Senior Weekend, the final two home games of the season for the Beavers.
As for the Minot State men (26-2-0), who fell 5-3 at then fourth-ranked Ohio on Friday, the Beavers bounced back for an 8-5 victory over the Bobcats on Saturday which helped them remain No. 1 in the current rankings. The Beavers have been No. 1 for eight consecutive polls.
Ohio, aided by the split with Minot State, climbed to No. 3 in the current poll, with Adrian (Mich.) checking in at No. 2. UNLV was No. 4 and Liberty, which hosts Minot State on Feb. 24-25, was No. 5.
The Minot State men are off this weekend and next hit the ice playing at Mary on Saturday, Feb. 18, then at home at the Maysa Arena hosting 8th-ranked Jamestown on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 5 p.m.
