ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The season came to a heartbreaking end Friday night for the second-ranked Minot State men's hockey team.

A pair of first-period goals by 15th-ranked Ohio gave the Bobcats early momentum and they never let the Beavers get on top as Minot State fell 3-2 in its first game of the ACHA Division I Men's Hockey National Tournament.

The Bobcats, who were playing their second game of the tournament after having beaten Niagara 7-3 on Thursday, jumped in front early, scoring 2 minutes, 14 seconds into the contest against Minot State (31-3-0 overall).

Ohio stretched the lead to 2-0 with 5:26 left in the first period before the Beavers battled back as Justin Metcalf scored with 7:23 gone in the second period, cutting the deficit to 2-1.Jordan Robertson and Eric Soar assisted on the Beavers first goal of the game.

But nearly 6 minutes later the Bobcats answered with what proved to be the game-winner, stretching Ohio's advantage to 3-1 after two periods.

Holding nothing back in the final 20 minutes, Minot State battled back again as Jay Buchholz scored a power-play goal off assists from Metcalf and Davis Sheldon, again closing within a goal with 11:46 left on the scoreboard, but the Beavers would get no closer.

Despite a late power-play chance, and outshooting Ohio 14-6 in the third period, Minot State could not find the equalizer and was eliminated from the tournament.

Riley Wallace finished with 19 saves in goal for the Beavers, who outshot Ohio 33-22 in the contest.