MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – The Beavers are National Champions once again!
One goal late in the second period and 19 saves by goalie Jake Anthony proved to be just enough Tuesday night as the No. 1 Minot State men’s hockey team held on to beat No. 3 Adrian (Mich.), claiming the third ACHA Division I National Championship in program history.
“What an effort,” said Minot State head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk who has been part of all three Minot State National Championships, winning one as a goalie, one as an assistant coach and now a third as head coach. “What a gutsy performance top to bottom. To shut out a team like Adrian shows the kind of will and commitment that our guys showed for all 60 minutes.
“I could not be more proud of these young men. They earned every inch.”
The National Champion Minot State men’s hockey team returns to Minot on Wednesday, March 22, arriving at the Minot International Airport at 8 p.m. The team looks forward to seeing fans on hand to welcome home the champions and celebrate the National title.
“We can’t wait to celebrate with our fans in the Magic City!” Waselenchuk said.
Josh Pederson scored the lone goal of the title game with 2 minutes, 25 seconds left in the second period, giving the Beavers (35-3-0 overall) all the offense they needed as Anthony turned aside all 19 shots by the Bulldogs, sealing the win.
The shutout was the sixth of the season for Anthony.
Minot State marched to the title with four straight wins, the final three in dramatic fashion.
After opening the ACHA National Tournament with an 8-0 rout of No. 17 Michigan-Dearborn on Friday night, the Beavers then needed overtime to get past the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Sunday, Minot State beat No. 8 Indiana Tech 4-3 in overtime, then rallied to force overtime where they topped No. 5 Liberty 3-2 on Monday night.
The Beavers claimed their third National Championship with a thrilling 1-0 victory, adding to their 2018-19 and 2012-13 National titles.
The run to the championship provides a memorable end to the collegiate careers of Minot State seniors Davis Sheldon, Drew Carter, Landyn Cochrane, and Connor Navrot who also were part of Minot State’s 2018-19 National Championship team, along with fellow seniors Austin Wieler, Wayde Johannesson, Jake Bestul, Eric Soar, and Dalton Dosko who celebrate their first National Championship.
