BOSTON, Mass. – Timing is everything, ask anyone.

Better yet, ask the Minot State women's hockey team who scored just its second win this winter over rival Midland in eight tries this season, but the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Battling in a scoreless deadlock into the third period, senior All-American Jordan Kulbida broke the tie for the third-ranked Beavers who then hung on for a 1-0 upset of second-ranked Midland, sending Minot State into the ACHA National Championship game on Monday at noon (CT).

"It was a team effort; just grinding it out," Minot State head coach Ryan Miner said. "I'm proud of this team."

The Beavers will play the winner of tonight's second semifinal contest between fourth-ranked Adrian (Mich.) and top-ranked Liberty (Va.) for the ACHA National Championship on Monday afternoon. Minot State will be playing in its third title game, the first since the 2018-19 season, and will be looking for its first women's hockey national championship.

Minot State (24-10-2 overall) earned its title shot with stingy defense and determination as Haylie Biever turned aside all 36 shots she faced from Midland, her second shutout of the season.

With the game scoreless early in the third period, Kulbida netted her fifth goal of the national tournament and the lone goal of the game with 5 minutes, 36 seconds gone in the stanza off a Sydney Spicer assist.

And that was the game.

From there the determined Beavers held tough, fending off the Warriors for the shutout win, a very timely Minot State victory, the team's first against Midland since a 4-3 overtime win back in December.