Alex Eisen/MDN Minot State goaltender Joshua Bykowski (39) makes a save against a Lindenwood skater Monday evening at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The ACHA Division I semifinal game between No. 6-seeded Minot State and No. 1-seeded Lindenwood concluded after Monday's press deadline of 11 p.m. A game recap will posted online at minotdailynews.com.

FRISCO, Texas — First to fall was the team that had eliminated them last season — two wins short of living up to being the No. 1 seed for a third straight postseason. Then, a little over 24 hours later, down went the defending national champions.

The winding, treacherous road to capturing a second national title didn’t get any easier Monday evening in Frisco, Texas, as the Minot State men’s club hockey team took on its toughest challenger yet in the national semifinals.

Once again, against the odds, the Beavers found a way at the Comerica Center.

Behind a shutout performance from goaltender Joshua Bykowski, No. 6-seeded Minot State slayed top-seeded Lindenwood, 1-0, to earn a spot in the final game of the season: the ACHA Division I National Tournament championship game. A role reversal of what happened to the Beavers a season ago.

“Oh man, this is a monkey off our back for the last three years and all the effort that was been put into this,” MSU head coach Wade Regier said. “It came down to one bounce in the first period and two teams playing a chess match. But, we move on and can’t get too high. I know this is really exciting for us to get the final, but we got to get ready for tomorrow.”

Leading by example, MSU captain Blake Fournier put the Beavers on his back 10 minutes into the contest.

Fournier went from getting his stick tangled up near the boards to lifting a back-handed shot over Lindenwood goaltender Cooper Seedott for the opening goal.

In the two previous semifinal defeats, Minot State had scored the first goal. The Beavers didn’t back away from testing fate on Monday.

Fournier’s first goal of the tournament had MSU up 1-0 after a hard-hitting first period.

“It was one of those moments where you don’t even think,” said Fournier, who also scored MSU’s opening goal in last year’s national semifinal against the University of Illinois. “I just put my head down and put something on net. I happened to surprise a very good goalie.”

More crushing hits followed in the second period with Minot State dishing out more of the punishment.

While in net, Bykowski — starting in the place of injured Breydan Effertz, who left the quarterfinals game with a pulled groin — morphed into a brick wall and stopped everything sent in his direction.

MSU took its 1-0 lead into the third period.

“(Bykowski) was thrusted into the spotlight unprepared and he has been unbelievable,” Regier said.

Minot State thought they had taken a 2-0 lead 2:36 into the third period. Goaltender interference was called on a puck finished in the crease by Dylan Gejdos.

Even before the goal was waived off, Regier was waving his arms up and down on the bench, telling his team to calm down. They hadn’t won the game just yet.

“I set a goal for myself tonight to not look at the clock one time,” Bykowski said. “As soon as that final buzzer rang, I knew we were going to the championship.”

Despite a handful of clear-cut chances just missing, MSU didn’t have to really push things with the 1-0 lead.

Fifteen minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, down to 3:24 remaining Lindenwood went to a power play on a hooking penalty by Paul O’Connor.

Bykowski and Beavers’ dominating penalty kill held strong one final time to secure the 1-0 victory.

“It was kind of a questionable call,” Regier said. “But the guys dug deep.”

The final hurdle in pursuit of second national title for Minot State is No. 5-seeded Iowa State. The Cyclones needed two overtimes to put away No. 2-seeded Michigan-Dearborn, 3-2, in the first semifinal contest played on Monday.

Colton Kramer scored the game-winning goal on a redirect in front of the net 3:01 into the second sudden-death overtime period.

Iowa State swept Minot State in the regular season with a pair of home wins back in late October by scores of 3-1 and 3-2 in overtime.

“We have some seniors that have been through a lot,” Fournier said. “This is for them. This isn’t just for us, this is for the whole city of Minot. We aren’t done yet, we got to get done tomorrow. The belief is unbelievable right now. I know we will get it done.”

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.