CROOKSTON, Minn. – Since transitioning to the NCAA Division II level, Minot State’s football team had never lost to Minnesota Crookston.

That streak came to a lopsided end Saturday at Widseth Field.

MSU gave up two long touchdown runs to Crookston in the third quarter, as the Golden Eagles broke away for their first victory of the season with a 45-14 result over the Beavers in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Minot State (1-9 overall, 1-5 North Division) started slowly into a brisk wind for the second straight week, and it proved costly. Crookston took advantage with an early field goal touchdown to stake a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes.

MSU then marched mainly with the wind at its back to cut its lead to 10-7, as junior wide receiver Ray Watkins hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jose Escobar with 11:55 to play in the first half. The Beavers covered 76 yards on nine plays during the same drive.

But that was as close as it got for the Beavers.

Crookston (1-9, 1-9, 1-5) took a 17-10 lead into halftime after a short scoring drive. Dre Person capped the same series with his second rushing touchdown of the game with 48 seconds to play in the second quarter.

The Golden Eagles needed just three plays to stretch their lead to three scores in the second half. Crookston scored on its first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, as Rodney Stewart ran in on an 80-yard scamper. Person then scored on the second play of Crookston’s ensuing drive, covering 63 yards on his third touchdown run of the game. Person later added a fourth score on a 3-yard run with 2:18 to play in the third quarter.

MSU junior running back Jarvis Mustipher scored the Beavers’ lone second-half touchdown on a 1-yard run. In the buildup to that score, Minot State benefitted from a blocked punt by junior defensive back Michael Jenkins.

The Beavers conceded 381 yards on the ground, and 525 overall while gaining just 214 on offense. The Beavers rushed for 62 yards and passed for 152.

Person finished with 217 yards rushing on 22 carries to pace the Golden Eagles, while Stewart added 115 yards of his own. Crookston quarterback Nathan Cole passed for 128 yards.

Junior wide receiver Akkil Walker racked up 41 rushing yards while also catching four passes for 43 yards. Mustipher added 40 yards rushing and 37 through the air. Freshman quarterback Isaiah Weed came off the bench to throw for a team-best 87 yards.

Senior linebacker Aaron James logged nine tackles to lead the Beavers, while junior defensive tackle Loni Fonua added seven. Minot State senior safety Marcel Brinson made his team-leading third interception in the second quarter.

The Beavers wrap up their season on the road next weekend at No. 18-ranked Minnesota Duluth – which topped Bemidji State 14-9 on Saturday.

No. 1 Minot State completes sweep of Colorado

Minot State’s men’s hockey team kept rolling Saturday at Maysa Arena.

The Beavers weren’t as prolific as they were during Friday’s emphatic victory, but top-ranked Minot held on for a 3-2 win over No. 3-ranked Colorado to keep its unbeaten start in tact.

“This was a big character win for us,” MSU coach Wade Regier said in an email. “They gave us all they could handle and our guys responded. It was a packed house here at the Maysa. and we used that energy for a big win.”

The Buffaloes jumped ahead early with a goal from Matt Heffer after 11 minutes to play in the first period. Colorado took the same 1-0 lead into the locker room at first intermission.

Craig Fournier then level the score for MSU at 8:18 of the second period, assisted by Dylan Gejdos and Dillon Smith.

In the third, the Beavers scored their second and third goals to clinch victory. Cole Olson made it 2-1 at 7:12 on a feed from linemate Parker Evans-Campbell, followed just over five minutes later by Bryce Lipinski’s second goal in as many nights. Colorado later scored a second, but it wasn’t enough to upset No. 1-ranked MSU.

Minot State goaltender Connor Beauchamp finished with 36 saves in his seventh win of the year. The Beavers travel for a three-game stretch in Arizona this weekend, beginning with a Thursday encounter against Arizona State’s ACHA Division II team.

Windish places among top-60 at Central Region meet

JOPLIN, Mo. – Minot State senior runner Allison Windish finished as the Beavers’ top runner during Saturday’s NCAA Division II Central Region Championships the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

Windish took 59th overall and lifted the Beavers to a 22nd-place finish out of 31 teams, topping four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams in the process.

“It was her highest finish at regionals and puts her potentially as an Academic All-American,” MSU coach Stu Melby said. “It was also our best team performance of the season. It was nice seeing Windish end her career on a high note. She has come a long way in five years.”

Minot State’s women’s team finished with 636 points, just six points behind Central Oklahoma. MSU’s team time was 2 hours, 2 minutes and 31.86 seconds a season best for the Beavers by eight minutes while Windish finished with a time of 22:52.15.

MSU’s men’s team took 26th overall as junior Joel Cartwright finished the 10-kilometer course in 33:58.45, good for 128th out of 176 runners.

“It was a course record for Joel,” Melby said. “He struggled some during the race. He finished light headed and almost fainted. Joel ran a better race than conference, but I know it’s not what he wanted.”

Minot State’s women finished with five personal bests along with Windish’s 23-second personal record. She was joined by sophomore Emily Westlake, who ran a 1:20 PR and took her highest regional finish at 140th overall. Sophomore Patience Albertson recorded a 30-second PR, freshman Stephanie Huether ran a 1:30 PR and freshman Allison Klein finished with a 1:37 PR.

The only MSU runner who did not register PR during the 6-kilometer race was junior Samantha Huether, who finished with a season-best time of 23:49.83 and was MSU’s No. 2 runner at 106th overall.

For the MSU men, freshman Devan Shumway took 150th (34:56.67) at MSU’s No. 2 runner.

“All of them have a lot to be proud of,” Melby said. “This will help all of them to be motivated to work toward next year.”

Tauros top Aberdeen in shootout

ABERDEEN – The Minot Minotauros needed a shootout to beat the Aberdeen Wings on Saturday in North American Hockey League play.

Minot gave up an equalizer late in the third period, but responded during crunch time to clinch a 4-3 victory.

Jackson Graalum opening the scoring with a goal for the Wings at 6:09 of the first period, but the Tauros snuck the lead at first intermission with a pair of late goals. Derek Frentz lit the lamp at 17:33, followed less than two minutes later by Austin Martinsen’s seventh goal of the year.

Aberdeen knotted the score at 2-2 just 24 seconds into the second period, with Gavin Payne providing the goal.

In the third, Jack Murphy found the twine for his fourth of the year midway through the frame, but the Tauros conceded another equalizer at 17:34 through rookie Jake Leitner.

Martinsen scored for Minot during the shootout, as did Johnny Walker, Tyler Jeanson and Jacob Gammicchia.

Jon Flakne picked up his fifth win of the season in net for the Tauros after making 29 saves. Aberdeen goaltender Peter Thome was tested throughout Saturday’s contest, as he made a whopping 48 saves from 51 Minot shots.

The Tauros welcome in-state rival Bismarck to Maysa Arena for a game at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday.

Majettes take 2nd at West Region swim meet

WILLISTON – Minot High’s girls swimming and diving team finished second during Saturday’s West Region meet at the Williston Area Recreation Center.

The Majettes finished with 400.5 team points, and took second behind champion Century with 484.

Minot senior Emily Hamel had quite the day in the pool, winning both the 50- and 100-meter freestyles en route to being named region senior athlete of the year. Hamel also partnered Minot’s 200- and 400-freestyle relay teams, which both placed first.

Minot freshman Rylie Webb won the 500 freestyle with a time of 5 minutes, 28 seconds, while fellow freshman Hannah Zaderaka took second in the 200 freestyle. Webb also placed second in the 200-yard individual medley.

The Majettes will compete the state meet this week at the Bismarck State College Aquatic and Wellness Center, beginning with preliminary heats on Friday.

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