MINOT, N.D. – The season just opened with a big rivalry weekend, yet one week later the Beavers find themselves set for another huge battle, this time with one of the ACHA's perennial powerhouses.

Fresh off a sweep of Jamestown, the Minot State hockey team (2-0-0 overall) continues its season hosting the Liberty Flames on Friday and Saturday at the Maysa Arena with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. each night.

Minot State has won nine straight against the two ACHA powerhouses, but nothing will come easy against the Flames who roll into North Dakota 4-0-0 already on the young season and having outscored foes 30-9.

Leading the offensive onslaught are sophomore forward Jacob Kalandyk (4 goals, 4 assists), and junior forwards Daniel Schwenke (4 goals, 2 assists) and Jason Foltz (4 goals), while senior forward Jackson Vercellono and junior forward Kam Ottenbreit each have three goals and four assists.

All of whom played in last season's series with Minot State, a four-game, home-and-home rivalry that the Beavers swept. Ottenbreit had a pair of goals against the Beavers, while Vercellono and Schwenke also scored one goal apiece.

While the Flames offense has been prolific, senior goalie Hunter Virostel has benefited playing in all four wins with a .920 save percentage.

He got the nod in three games against Minot State last season, posting 30 saves or more in each game he saw action in, but the Beavers managed to score 13 goals and three wins against Virostel, as well.

As for Minot State, the Beavers come in after a pair of wins against in-state rival Jamestown as Jake Anthony made 25 saves in Friday's 4-3 road win, then 19 saves in the Beavers' 6-1 home debut victory on Saturday.

Freshman Joey Moffatt provided a welcome spark as a newcomer, scoring three goals and adding two assists over the opening weekend, while senior captain Davis Sheldon added two goals in Saturday's win, and sophomore Jay Buchholz has a goal and four assists for Minot State this season.