MINOT, N.D. - Minot State freshman goalie Blake Sittler has been the Beavers' go-to guy this season against the Midland Warriors, and he got the call once again Sunday.

Sittler answered the call by turning aside all 17 shots he faced for his first collegiate shutout, leading the way as the No. 1-ranked Minot State men's hockey team beat No. 18 Midland, 7-0 in a Sunday matinee at the Maysa Arena.

The win was the 4th in a row for Sittler against the Warriors, the fifth this season for the Beavers (20-1-1-1 overall, 10-1-1-1 MCH) against the Warriors, and pushed Minot State's all-time record to 38-0-1 against Midland.

With Sittler turning aside shot after shot by the Warriors, his teammates took control on the other end of the ice late in the first period.
Jay Buchholz scored what proved to be the game-winner, a power-play goal with 3 minutes, 52 seconds left until the first intermission.

Colby Joseph pushed the lead to 2-0 with 1:11 left in the first, scoring his first of two on the afternoon, then Walker Jerome scored his first of two with 3:42 left in the second for a 3-0 lead, and some breathing room.

The Beavers then iced the win with a third-period onslaught as Jerome and Joseph scored 42 seconds apart early in the session, and 42 seconds after Joseph made it 5-0, Trenton Curtis scored for a 6-0 lead.

Slade Stanick finished off the scoring with 2 seconds left in the Beaver win.

Minot State now gets a day off before returning to the ice Tuesday night at the Maysa Arena to host the first half of a home-and-home series with in-state rival the University of Mary. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday night, then the two teams face off in Bismarck on Wednesday at 7 p.m., once again.