MINOT, N.D. – We all knew there would be uncertainty during the 2020-2021 season. Would teams be playing, who would be playing and when would these teams be playing. The Beavers, with the full support from the administration at Minot State University, knew they would be playing. They just did not know what the outlook and landscape of the ACHA would be.

Back in fall of 2020, the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) made the bold decision to extend the season by three weeks and move the national tournament to mid-April. This move was made to allow a large group of teams, who’s seasons were shut down until January 1st, a chance to having a meaningful season. The decision put the Beavers and several other teams currently playing in the fall, into a predicament. How do you extend your season when games have already been scheduled?

Cue in North Dakota Rivalries.

Simply put, expansion of hockey in North Dakota has saved this season for the Beavers. You do not have to look far to see how fortunate the Beavers are to have games against teams in our region. Eleven years ago, the only teams in ND to play were Dakota College a junior college program and NDSU. NDSU would eventually move down a level and subsequently never play against each other again. In 2011, Williston State added junior college hockey and move up to ACHA D2 providing games for the Beavers.

It took until 2016 to finally have a natural ACHA D1 rival in North Dakota with the addition of hockey at the University of Jamestown. The move provided scheduling stability for the Beavers. The geographical hockey island in the great plains got a little greater.

In 2018, the Beavers got a gift with the addition of hockey at the University of Mary. Minot’s oldest and fiercest rival in all other sports, decided to take it to the ice rink. Again, providing another boost to scheduling for a program desperate for good competition close to home.

Fast Forward to this week.

With the national tournament set for April 15-20. Adding games at the end of a scheduled season became an easy task for the Beavers now with the additions of the University of Mary and the University of Jamestown. With teams reluctant to travel large distances forced the Beavers to play games in the region. The Beavers will play at UMary on Wednesday March 10th, at Jamestown on Friday March 12th and host UMary on Senior night on Saturday March 13th.

The Minot State and UMary rivalry has deep roots.

It is a rivalry comparable to almost every other major college sports. This includes Duke and North Carolina in basketball, Alabama and Ole Miss in football or dare we say North Dakota and North Dakota State. Whichever college rivalry you are familiar with nationwide, you can add Minot State and UMary to the mix. Adding hockey just puts a whole new spin on the battle of the big lake. The reason being, both teams are good. In fact, you could almost say it is arguably one of the biggest in the entire ACHA.

The UMary Marauders enter this rivalry week ranked #1 in the ACHA D2 latest national rankings. They spot an impressive 29-2-6 record and have been named host to the ACHA D2 national tournament in April. Since inception, the Marauders have been ranked inside the top five. Currently in their third year of existence, they have had numerous All-Americans and have consistently led in every team statistical category. They enter this weekend sweeping all three games at the Lindenwood showcase. The Beavers enter the weekend after a bye week.

You can watch all three games online.

Wednesday March 10th 7:00pm – www.goumary.com

Friday March 12th 7:00pm – www.jimmiepride.com

Saturday March 13th 7:30pm – www.pspnetwork.com