MINOT, N.D. – The holiday break might be just around the corner but the Minot State women's hockey team isn't looking past one final weekend on the ice.

The Beavers, ranked No. 4 in the nation in the current ACHA Division I poll, look to finish the 2021 calendar year on a high note and add to their three-game win streak as they play in-state rival the Dakota College at Bottineau in a home-and-home series Saturday and Sunday.

The two teams play in Bottineau at 4 p.m. on Saturday, then the Beavers (12-3-0 overall) host the ACHA Division II Ladyjacks (5-1-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Maysa Arena.

The Beavers come in having won three straight on the road, topping No. 2-ranked Adrian (Mich.) 2-0 back in November, then completing a sweep of Minnesota last weekend in WMCH action.

Balance on offense has been key for Minot State all season, along with adding some power-play punch against the Golden Gophers as well as the Beavers netted five goals with the man-advantage in two games last week.

Riley Ball, Jessica Walker, and Haley Wickham lead the way as each has six goals and four assists this season for a Minot State team with 59 goals on the year. Two of Walker's goals came on the power play last weekend while Mackenzie Heide, Anna German, and Makena Welby each added a power-play goal for the Beavers, who went into the series at Minnesota with just seven goals with the man advantage.

While balance on offense has been key for Minot State, it's also been a factor in goal as Haylie Biever and Jordan Ivanco each have a pair of shutouts, and Morgan Baker has another for the Beavers. Biever is 5-1-0 in goal with a 1.24 goals against average and a .949 save percentage, Ivanco is 4-2-0 with a 1.59 GAA and .922 save percentage, and Baker is 1-0-0 with a 0.00 GAA and a 1.000 save percentage.

The Ladyjacks (5-1-0 overall) come in as the top-ranked team in the ACHA Division II's West Region and, like the Beavers, come in having won a pair on the road last weekend, routing Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 7-1 and 12-3.

The Dakota College at Bottineau got balance from their offense in the weekend sweep with 11 players scoring at least one goal, though Crystal Wale has been the go-to scorer this season with nine goals and eight assists in just six games.

Jessica Shankle, Trinity Tanner, and Kaya Shaw also have helped lead the way offensively as Shankle has five goals and eight assists, Tanner has four goals and an assist, and Shaw has four goals for a Dakota College at Bottineau team averaging almost six goals a game.

A ton of offense, especially considering that the goaltending tandem of Karlee Schmitt and Chloe Burt has allowed just eight goals combined all season. Schmitt leads the way with a 3-0 record, one shutout, a 0.68 GAA, and a .976 save percentage. Burt is 2-1 with a 2.02 GAA and a .929 save percentage.