MINOT, N.D. – The Beavers have battled early on this season, but against two of the year teams in the nation, victories proved challenging.

But Saturday, the Minot State women's hockey team scored win No. 1 in dramatic fashion, getting a last-second goal to force overtime where the Beavers won 3-2 over reigning national champion Liberty in a battle of last year's title-game combatants.

Back in March, the Flames (4-0-1 overall) prevailed by the same score over the Beavers (1-3-0) in the national title game, and Friday in the first game of the teams' head-to-head series at the Maysa Arena, Liberty snapped a third-period tie for a 5-2 victory.

Saturday ended up being another close contest between the Beavers and Flames, and with the clock winding down it looked like Liberty might prevail for the sweep.

But with 41 seconds left in regulation, Minot State true freshman Paige Kozak changed things with her first collegiate goal, scoring to tie it 2-2 off assists by Riley Ball and Olivia Opheim.

The late goal forced a 5-minute, 3-on-3 overtime session and Kozak's second collegiate goal came quickly into OT, just 1:52 into the extra session, providing the win for the Beavers. Krissy Rink set up the game-winner.

Both teams started the game quickly as Brityn Fussy scored 88 seconds into the action for Liberty, and 36 seconds later Ball scored her first of the season to even it 1-1. Makena Welby assisted on Ball's goal.

It stayed knotted 1-1 until late in the second when the Flames took the lead, setting the stage for Kozak's dramatic pair of goals that lifted Minot State to victory.

Minot State's Haylie Biever finished with 20 saves in the win for the Beavers, who look to build on their dramatic first win as they host Lake Superior State next Friday and Saturday at the Maysa Arena, with puck-drop scheduled for 3:45 p.m. both days.