St. Louis, MO – With a record of 31-2, top-ranked No. 2 Minot State University men's hockey team is waking up on Friday morning in Missouri to compete in the first round of the fight for the title at the ACHA National Tournament. The Beavers open their run to the cup with their first game in the single-elimination tournament consisting of the ACHA's top twenty men's D1 teams at 4:45p.m against No. 15 Ohio, hosted in the Centene Community Ice Arena. 

The tournament started Thursday night with all top ten teams in the division earning a bye, as teams ranked 11-20 battled to make it to the next night, with four teams already packing their bags within the first twenty four hours of championship weekend. When No. 15 Ohio defeated No. 18 Niagara in their first game Thursday night, they earned themselves another night in St. Louis for a Friday night matchup against No. 2 Minot State for their second go, and the Beavers' first time back at nationals since 2019, where they walked away winning it all. Despite the 13-rank difference between the two teams, Coach Walenchuk emphasizes, "they're better than fifteen." The first-year head coach continues, "they're got some pretty darn good players and they're gonna give us everything." The Ohio University Bobcats wiped out the Niagara University Purple Eagles 7-4 in a full-force scoring ambush sponsored by a five-goal first period by the 'cats. After witnessing the first-round victory of Minot State's now declared Game 1 opponent, Waselenchuk says the team's game plan heading into Friday night is to "take the game five minutes at a time". 

A phrase Coach Waselenchuk has ingrained into the minds of his skaters all season long has led the team to their outstanding .919 winning percentage with a clean 15-0 record in all away games this season, only losing two out of their 33 games from October to March. "I certainly know they're capable of getting the job done", notes Coach Waselenchuk on his team's ability to win it all. The confidence in this roster comes from the help of guidance by all ten of Minot State's senior members, all of which have already experienced winning a national championship for the Beavers in 2019. When asked how this senior group of men has aided in MSU's success this year, Coach Waselenchuk calls his leaders "fantastic", recalling their previous experience with the national tournament saying, "they've been through it. They've been passing on some wisdom to our younger guys, having been through this before is really important." 

In 2019, Minot State earned the No. 1 ranking in the ACHA Division 1 and named champions of the league that year, defeating Iowa State 3-1 in the championship game of the national tournament. Six years prior, the Beavers earned their first-ever championship cup in 2013 when head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk was wearing a jersey on the ice for MSU. Along with his own national championship experiences to provide guidance for the Minot State team, Wyatt Waselenchuk was also named ACHA Player of the Year that same year, giving him even higher credit in knowing the recipe to success for his players. In response to how the change has been from key player of the roster to being head coach of that same national tournament team, "it's pretty darn special to see it, one full circle" coach Waselenchuk responds. "Being able to share this with one of my best friends is a pretty surreal feeling and nine years ago we were the ones sitting in a hotel room preparing for a national tournament."

The ACHA National Tournament calls for teams to win four games in five days in an all-out effort to reach the top. "It's hard to explain 'til you're in it, " Waselenchuk explains, "my first couple of years I put so much pressure, but at the end of the day the puck is still the same and it's just a sheet of ice." With that sheet of ice being broadcasted on national television and en entire season at stake, it's inevitable that there will be intense emotions and excitement surrounding this weekend's national tournament. Waselenchuk says, "it's hard to put into words how much the emotion can take you over at any time–just get the puck."

Coach Waselenchuk has focused on a simplified system to bring the Beavers this far in their journey, breaking the twenty minute periods down into five-minute mini periods in their play strategies and creating shifts in each line throughout the periods of play. With the diversity throughout the lines that are working together on the ice, Waselenchuk tells his players often, "go out and do your job–for forty-five seconds." Waselenchuk continues, "I think the biggest thing my coaches and myself have talked about it we've been successful in doing what we're doing..don't try and do too much. Don't try and be someone you're not. We've been successful with all of our pieces to the puzzle."

Taking it five minutes at a time, the Beavers will take the ice against the No. 15 Ohio University Bobcats at 4:45p.m. Friday night in the Centene Community Ice Arena in St. Louis, MO. Games live broadcasted on HockeyTV with subscription.