LINK TO MEN'S POLL

LINK TO WOMEN'S POLL

MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State men's hockey team finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the ACHA Division I poll and heads to the ACHA National Tournament in Maryland Heights, Missouri, as the top-ranked team in the 24-team field.

Meanwhile, the Minot State women climbed one spot in the latest ACHA Division I women's national poll, to the No. 3 spot, and now await the final poll prior to their ACHA National Tournament, which will be released next week and determines seeding.

The Minot State men (27-1-1-1 overall) know their place at nationals, but not their first foe, as the Beavers earned a first-round bye and begin play at nationals on Friday, March 13, at 8 p.m. against the winner of the 16^th-seeded Purdue University Northwest Pride and the 17^th-seeded Missouri State Bears, who play Thursday, March 12, at 8 p.m.

Minot State faced off against the Pride in its first game of nationals last season, a memorable 4-1 Beaver win played over two days as the game was interrupted by a tornado warning.

Minot State last played the Bears at the Maysa Arena back on October 12, 2023, scoring a 5-3 win that night.

The top five in the men's poll once again saw shifts as Ohio and Niagara (N.Y.) swapped places, with the Bobcats moving up to No. 2 and the Purple Eagles slipping to No. 3. UNLV, the defending national champion, remained at No. 4, while Liberty (Va.) moved up one spot past Drury (Mo.) to the No. 5 spot.

Minot State's in-state rivals, Jamestown and Mary, checked in at No. 8 and No. 10 in the latest poll.

On the women's side, Minot State (16-7-7) and McKendree (Ill.) were the only teams to move in the top 5, swapping places once again this week as the Beavers move back up to No. 3, nudging the Bearcats down to No. 4.

Liberty (Va.) remained No. 1 and is followed by Midland (Neb.) at No. 2. Maryville (Mo.) was No. 5.

Minot State's in-state rival, Jamestown (9-16-1), was No. 10 in the latest poll.

The Beavers and Jimmies hit the ice Friday and Saturday in Jamestown for two final regular-season contests, tune-ups prior to the ACHA National Tournament, which begins Wednesday, March 18.

The Minot State women and Jimmies have met four times already this season, with the Beavers scoring 3-0 and 5-3 wins at Jamestown in November, and 2-1 and 3-2 wins at the All Seasons Arena in Minot back in January.

All-time, the Beavers are 27-0 against their in-state rival, who began playing women's hockey in the 2022-23 season.