MINOT, N.D. – With the regular season over and the ACHA National Tournament just a few weeks away, the announcement of postseason awards began this week with the 3^rd-ranked Minot State Beavers women's hockey team collecting a big share.

The first set of awards announced honored players for their all-around efforts in the classroom and on the ice, as the ACHA Academic All-Americans were announced, and 8 Beaver student-athletes received this distinguished honor.

To be an ACHA Academic All-American, a player must be an active member of their team who academically is a junior, senior, or graduate student, and who maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.5, or higher.

This year's 8 Beaver Academic All-Americans is an all-time high for the Minot State women's hockey program.

Earning ACHA Academic All-American honors are goalie Jillian Ackerman, defensemen Makenna Beard, Maddie Beek, and Erica Fijala, and forwards Olivia Kirwan, Payton Lang, Journey Miller, and Kaitlyn Snyder.

Ackerman is a sophomore goalie (athletically) from Minot, North Dakota, who is majoring in Elementary Education. This season, Ackerman has played in 26 games with 12 wins and 7 shutouts.

Beard is a senior defenseman from Boissevain, Manitoba, who is majoring in Health and Physical Education. This season, Beard has played in 30 games, scoring 3 goals and adding 5 assists.

Beek is a senior defenseman from Cranbrook, British Columbia, who is majoring in Nursing. This season, Beek has played in 13 games and has 3 assists.

Fijala is a junior defenseman from Manitou, Manitoba, who is majoring in Accounting. This season, Fijala has played in 31 games, scoring 5 goals and adding 7 assists.

Kirwan is a junior forward from Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, who is majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. This season, Kirwan has played in 31 games, scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists.

Lang is a junior forward from Minot, North Dakota, who is majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. This season, Lang has played in 26 games, scoring 5 goals and adding 6 assists.

Miller is a graduate student and forward from Soldotna, Alaska, who is working towards her master's in Sports Management. This season, Miller had played in 30 games, recording a team-high 17 goals along with 8 assists.

Snyder is a junior forward from Parksville, British Columbia, who is majoring in Nursing. This season, Snyder has played in 17 games and scored 4 goals.

The 3rd-ranked Minot State Beavers (18-7-7 overall), and their 8 Academic All-Americans, are back on the ice on Wednesday, March 18, playing in-state rival Jamestown in the first game of pool play at the ACHA National Tournament in Maryland Heights, Missouri