COLUMBUS, Ohio — Despite a three-goal rally, the Minot State women’s hockey team had its memorable run at the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II National Tournament come to end Saturday evening in the semifinals.

One win away from what would have been the program’s first trip to the title match, the Beavers (12-9-2) fell to instate rival North Dakota State, 4-3, at the Chiller Easton Ice Arena in Easton Town Center, Ohio.

The Bison opened the contest in commanding fashion with a goal halfway through the first period and a pair of goals in the second frame to take a 3-0 lead into the third.

MSU, with a 1-2-1 record against NDSU coming into the match, turned things around quickly after the second intermission. Senior assistant captain Angie Lothspeich scored the first goal to end the scoreless drought and freshman forward Mackenzie Balogh tied the game with a pair of goals.

In the closing minutes, however, the Bison found the game-winner.

Minot State wasn’t expected to make a run at the championship. In fact, the Beavers were on the cusp of not making the national tournament but went undefeated in their last six regular season games to secure the No. 6 seed out of the Western Conference.

Garnering the last spot available in the conference at the national tournament, MSU won both its games in pool-play to advance to the semifinals; defeating Western Conference No. 4-seeded Miami University on Wednesday, 5-0, and Eastern Conference No. 1-seeded University of Buffalo on Thursday, 7-4.

Much ado to Balogh, who scored 10 goals in three games at the national tournament with a five-goal performance against Buffalo and a hat trick in the win over Miami. In 23 games this season, she netted a team-high 30 goals for the Beavers.

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