MINOT, N.D. – It'll be an action-packed weekend on the ice at the Maysa Arena as the highly-ranked Beavers take on two of the best teams in the country.

The fifth-ranked Minot State women's hockey team hosts No. 3 Midland on Friday and Saturday, renewing a season battle that began last month in Nebraska against the Warriors. Puck drops at 3:45 p.m. on Friday, then the Beavers and Warriors clash in primetime on Saturday with gametime set for 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the No. 1-ranked Minot State men's hockey team will start a home-and-home series with in-state rival the University of Mary at Maysa Arena on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The two teams then head south to Mandan for Saturday's 7 p.m. contest.

Minot State (8-3-1 overall) and Midland (12-3-3) matched up back on Nov. 11 and 12 with the host Warriors winning 4-0, then the teams tying 2-2 on Saturday.
Jordan Kulbida, who has scored six goals in her last six games, had both in the tie for Minot State which snapped a six-game win streak for Midland in the teams' head-to-head series. All-time, the Beavers hold a decided edge in the series, though, at 22-9-2.

The Beavers also are led by senior goalie Jordan Ivanco, the all-time career leader in shutouts with 16 at Minot State, including two this season as she holds a .928 save percentage in six games.

As for Midland, Kayla Flanigan and Ally Rakowski have been dynamic offensively for the Warriors as Flanigan has 13 goals and 14 assists and is tied for the lead in points nationally (27), while Rakowski has an ACHA-best 17 goals and 9 assists (26 points).

As for the men's game, the Marauders (17-2-1) are ranked No. 1 in the ACHA Division II West Region, while the Beavers are No. 1 in the ACHA Division I National Poll.

Despite the difference in Division, the matchups between these two always are hotly contested, though the Beavers hold the all-time series lead 10-0-2, never having fallen to their in-state rival.

Seth Cushing (8 goals, 9 assists), Tanner Eskro (7 goals, 7 assists), and Derek Dropik (7 goals, 6 assists) lead the way for a balanced Marauder offense, while Kyle Hayden had been the team's primary goalie with 12 wins, nine shutouts, and a 0.52 goals against average.

The Beavers top goalie, Jake Anthony, has been equally as good with nine wins, 2 shutouts, and a 1.27 GAA to lead Minot State, which similarly on offense has been well balanced.

Joey Moffatt and Landyn Cochrane lead a potent offense, each with nine goals this season, while Moffatt has added 11 assists, as well. Carter Barley leads the team in points at 21 points, with eight goals and 12 helpers, and Jay Buchholz is third in points with 18 points on six goals and 12 assists.