MINOT, N.D. -- The Minot State Beavers wrestling team opens the 2021 season this week at home when Minnesota State visits the MSU Dome on Thursday at 7 p.m. 

Head Coach Evan Forde and his crew will welcome the Mavericks on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. The Beavers feature an experienced squad looking to earn their way back into the NCAA postseason after Dean Arevalo qualified for the tournament a year ago. 

Assistant Head Coach Chayse Jackson, redshirt senior Jordan Will, and senior Keegan Berry joined us to preview the 2021 Wrestling season. (click play icon above) 

COVID-19 Game Day Protocols
 
The NSIC will continue to monitor the landscape and conditions surrounding the pandemic, locally, regionally, nationally, and make any decisions or announcements, as necessary. 

Please be sure to check the MSU Beavers website on a weekly basis for updates on attendance at the MSU Dome. 

GAME NOTES

NSIC WRESTLING SEASON
After a tumultuous off-season filled with uncertainty and confusion, the NSIC and its charter members were proud to announce that the 2020-21 wrestling season would be allowed to begin. Due to the extenuating circumstances, the NSIC was forced to limit the number of duals for each team to six.

Minot State's schedule includes three home duals and three contests away from Minot. As mentioned, the Beavers' schedule begins with Minnesota State coming to town on Jan. 7. For the other two home duals, the Beavers will host Northern State (1/21) and Southwest Minnesota State (2/11). Minot State will travel to St. Cloud State (1/14), UMary (1/28), and MSU Moorhead (2/4) to complete their schedule.

EYES ON THE PRIZE
The NSIC wrestling regular season will end on Feb. 11. The postseason will take place on Saturday, Feb. 27 at the NCAA Super Regional V competition in Aberdeen, S.D. The Beavers have a handful of athletes with hopes of earning a spot in the NCAA postseason.
 
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The NSIC brings a new team into the fold this season. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers is now an affiliate member of the NSIC for wrestling only. The Rangers previously competed in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and have been national contenders, both individually and as a team.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Minot State was selected to finish ninth out of the 10 NSIC teams in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Beavers were tabbed one spot ahead of Southwest Minnesota State. Perennial power St. Cloud State was picked to win the league with nine first-place votes. The Upper Iowa Peacocks received one first-place vote. NSIC newcomer Wisconsin-Parkside found themselves in the middle of the pack at fifth in the preseason poll.
 
QUOTE FROM THE COACH
"This is probably the most experienced team we've had," Head Coach Evan Forde said, "but we really like the group of younger guys we have in the practice room. We should have strong depth. Our team is very excited to compete, but I have been impressed with the patience they have shown during this challenging time."

NATURAL LEADERS
As Coach Forde mentioned, the Beaver wrestling team is stocked with experience and young talent. Last year's 23^rd-ranked squad brings back grapplers like Jordan Will, Keegan Berry, Nathan Baca, and Shadi Mitwalli for 2021. Will, a career 33-6 wrestler, has recovered from a significant knee injury and earned a top-10 preseason ranking this season. MSU's other returners all posted solid marks a season ago and will look to build on those performances this year.

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.