— The Minot State women’s hockey team finished as the runner-up in the ACHA Division II national tournament for a second season in a row. Assiniboine Community College topped MSU, 1-0, at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.

— Our Redeemer’s volleyball earned its sixth-straight Region 6 title and finished fourth at the state tournament in Fargo. Head coach Kara Nunziato earned Region 6 Coach of the Year and middle hitter Annie Folden was named Region 6 Senior Athlete of the Year.

— Stanley High School volleyball made its first state championship appearance since 2013. The Blue Jays finished eighth at the state tournament.

— The Minot High School girls cross country team won five events and stayed undefeated in North Dakota races before finishing fourth at the state meet held on home soil at the Souris Valley Golf Course in Minot. Carla Wahlund took home Class A Coach of the Year honors.

File Photo Des Lacs-Burlington’s Coy Spooner (left) delivers a takedown against Harvey/Wells County’s Bailey Lawson in the 195-pound Class B state championship match at the Fargodome.

— Minot State junior forward Sofia Lewis became the Beavers’ all-time women’s soccer leader in goals scored and total points. The Minot native has accumulated 35 goals and 84 points throughout her ongoing three-year collegiate career.

— The New Town High School boys cross country team nabbed its eighth consecutive state championship in October. Senior Robert White won the race after posting a time of 15:52.52.

— The Rugby High School girls cross country team earned its first state championship since 2010. Head coach Bill Jansen received Class B Coach of the Year recognition.

— On Nov. 30, the Minot Minotauros scored a franchise-record 11 goals in an 11-4 thrashing against St. Cloud Blizzard. Forward Kyler Kleven netted a hat trick.

— The South Prairie High School football team competed in its first official year of varsity competition. The school opened in 2015.

File Photo Minot High's Steve Novak swims the butterfly portion of the 200-yard medley relay event during a high school meet.

— Des Lacs-Burlington/ Lewis & Clark (third), Bishop Ryan (6th) and Velva/Drake-Anamoose (eighth) all reached the Class B softball state tournament in Fargo. Meanwhile, Minot hosted the Class A softball state tournament at the newly turfed South Hill Softball Complex.

— Corbett Field welcomed Expedition League talent on July 15 and 16 for the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game. Spearfish Sasquatch outfielder Z Westley won the Home Run Derby, while the Lewis Division defeated the Clark Division 6-3 in the All-Star Game.

#1 Minot State men’s hockey captures elusive national championship

Six years after winning the program’s first national title, the No. 6-seeded Minot State men’s hockey team brought back a second ACHA Division I National Championship to Minot with an exhilarating run of four wins in four days in Frisco, Texas.

All the agony and heartbreak over the previous five seasons — three semifinal and two quarterfinal season-ending defeats, plus three times being seeded as the No. 1 overall team — was washed away. Destiny was finally fulfilled.

Sean Arbaut/MSU athletics Former Minot State women's soccer head coach Jason Spain coaching the Beavers before leaving to join the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay women's soccer program.

In the opening round of the national tournament, the Beavers brushed off the team that knocked them out the year prior in the semifinals: No. 11 University of Illinois. Then, down went the defending national champions, No. 3 Adrian College, in the quarterfinals.

Backup goaltender Joshua Bykowski stepped in for the injured Breydan Effertz and shutout No. 1 Lindenwood in the semifinals, 1-0.

No. 5 Iowa State scored first in the title game, but captain Blake Fournier provided the equalizer. Shain Scheshuk pounced on a rebound early into the second period, and that turned out to be the championship-winning goal.

When it was all said and done, the Beavers got to celebrate twice.

Eric Bollefer scored an empty-net goal with 1.3 seconds left and Minot State stormed the ice, throwing everything into the air. The officials weren’t having any of that and halted the celebration to play the final 1.3 seconds.

Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Bishop Ryan junior wide receiver/defensive back Bryson Elm (2) celebrates with junior offensive/defensive lineman Cutter Kent (71) after beating Velva in the Class A state semifinals.

A quick puck drop and a faceoff finished it off.

Then, the Beavers went crazy again.

“This has been a remarkable ride,” MSU head coach Wade Regier said. “This year was supposed to be our rebuilding year… But, the guys just knew what they needed to do.”

#2 Undefeated junior season for DLB wrestler Coy Spooner

Once Coy Spooner got rolling, he kept his momentum.

File Photo Minot High's Alex Schimke (left) celebrates after hitting an RBI double during the Magicians' 6-4 win over West Fargo Sheyenne in the opening round of the Class A baseball state tournament at Corbett Field.

The Des Lacs-Burlington standout wrestler completed his undefeated junior season with a 7-3 win over Harvey/Wells County’s Bailey Lawson at the Fargodome in February. Spooner’s victory in the 195-pound weight class cemented his unblemished run.

However, he faced some adversity before getting there. As a sophomore, Spooner lost the 170-pound Class B state championship match to Hillsboro/Central Valley’s Mark Hastings. Hastings made his mark with a convincing 11-3 win over Spooner.

The following year was different. Spooner had something to prove in his junior campaign.

After completing his sterling 40-0 regular season, Spooner locked up the No. 1 seed at the state tournament. Off the strength of two pins and a 13-0 major decision win at state, Spooner employed several early takedowns in the championship bout.

His lead proved insurmountable. After sealing the victory in Fargo, Spooner celebrated with his father Nolan. Nolan serves as an assistant coach for the Lakers.

Coy pledged to continue his wrestling career in November, signing with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He has started his quest for his second consecutive individual state championship this season with DLB wrestling.

#3 Minot High boys swim & dive brings home 27th state title

The Minot High School boys swimming and diving team would not be deterred.

Back in March, the Magicians won their second consecutive state championship with a 111-point margin of victory. Minot recorded a team score of 438 at the state meet in Bismarck, while Bismarck High’s 327 points secured second place.

The Magi continued their winning tradition. The victory marked their 27th all-time state championship.

Although Minot did not earn any individual first-place finishes at state, eight Magicians solidified All-State honors. No team tallied more nominations.

Steve Novak, Griffin Schaeffer, William Walker-Rozo, Jack Wolsky and Dominic Yoder earned All-State First Team nominations. Peyton Huss, Layton King and Zac Spaulding earned spots on the second team.

Additionally, Minot head coach Jake Solper took home Class A Coach of the Year honors.

The Magi recorded a host of well-rounded swim and dive finishes en route to the victory. Walker-Rozo and Huss earned third and fourth place in the 100-yard butterfly event.

Additionally, Walker-Rozo and Wolsky nabbed the second and third spots in the 200-yard individual medley. Yoder took home third place in the 100-yard backstroke event.

King secured a team-best third-place finish in the 1-meter diving event. Mason Robertson finished eighth.

#4 Jason Spain departs as Minot State women’s soccer head coach

After building the Minot State women’s soccer team from the ground up, Jason Spain made shockwaves when he announced his resignation on Jan. 9 to accept the women’s soccer head coaching position at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, an NCAA Division I program.

Spain spent nine seasons with the Beavers, racking up a 109-53-18 overall record. MSU made four NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances, plus won an NSIC regular season and NSIC Tournament championship under his command.

The vibrant head coach succeeded in putting the Beavers on the map.

Whether it was a practice, game day or a weekly press conference, Spain wore his heart on his sleeve and said what was on his mind — good, bad or otherwise.

With his departure, a handful of former Beaver soccer players transferred over to Green Bay to play under Spain — the coach who recruited them.

The impact was rather devastating for MSU. The Beavers posted their worst record in program history (3-15) under new head coach Chris Clements, who had to scramble over the summer to bring in viable recruits to fill out the team roster.

Meanwhile, Green Bay went 7-10-1 overall (1-7-1 Horizon League) this past fall.

#5 Bishop Ryan football reaches title game for first time in 20 years

For quite some time, Bishop Ryan football never stopped winning.

After a stellar regular season where the Lions lost only one game to Velva, Ryan kept the momentum going into the postseason.

The Lions handled New Salem 34-12 on Oct. 26, then earned a stunning 52-21 comeback victory over Bowman County on Nov. 2. Ryan trailed 14-0 early in the game, but scored 26 points in the fourth quarter.

As memorable as that game proved to be, the Lions one-upped themselves in a mud bowl affair against Velva. Players dove, scratched and clawed in that fateful Nov. 9 rivalry game.

A state championship berth was at stake. When the going got tough, the Lions rose to the occasion.

A 32-20 victory cemented the Lions’ historic season. Ryan players slid around in the mud afterward, celebrating at every turn.

The Lions partied like it was 1999 — the last time they had reached the state championship game.

“That’s what kids dream of,” junior running back Logan Merck said after the game. “That’s awesome. Little kids on the sideline looking up to us. That’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”

The campaign ended at the hands of Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich. The Lions lost 42-14 in the Class A state championship game at the Fargodome.

#6 Magi baseball makes magical run to state championship game

The Minot High School baseball team wasn’t even on track to make the state tournament, let alone the Class A championship game. But the Magicians caught fire at precisely the right time.

Minot entered the WDA Tournament as the No. 6 seed and lost its opening-round game to No. 3 Dickinson, 9-2. The Magi rallied with back-to-back wins on the same day to keep its season alive, topping No. 7 Jamestown (5-4) and No. 4 Mandan (4-2).

Against the odds, Minot secured the West No. 4 seed at the state tournament, which was being held at the friendly confines of Corbett Field. Home supporters flocked to the historic ballpark to watch more magic unfold.

Extra innings were needed in the opening round against East No. 1-seeded West Fargo Sheyenne. Kyler Stenberg provided the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning.

Starting pitcher Blake Smith and closer Chase Burke combined for a four-hit shutout in the state semifinals against East No. 3 West Fargo.

Minot scored first in the state title game, but Century notched five runs in the fifth inning to become the first-ever team to win back-to-back state titles in Class A baseball history.

#7 Records broken, SportsCenter cameo for Minot State football

First game jitters didn’t faze true freshman Cory Carignan. After muffing a kickoff and running back into his own endzone to retrieve the ball, Carignan turned a sure-fire disaster into one of the most memorable college football plays of the season.

Carignan slipped past would-be tackles in the end zone and found his way to the sideline. A potential safety was avoided, and now Carignan had a caravan of blockers in front of him. Freshman running back Ali Mohamed flatted Duluth’s Austin Kurylo with a heads up block at the end of the 104-yard kickoff return.

The improbable touchdown went viral on social media and was named the No. 1 play on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays later that evening.

Mohamed also made history by breaking MSU’s Division II record for most rushing yards in a single season (817). Senior wideout Lavante Bushnell set new MSU DII career-highs in touchdown receptions (18) and total receptions (159).

The Beavers (3-8) matched the program’s best record achieved since joining the NSIC in 2012. MSU beat U-Mary, Minnesota Crookston and Concordia-St. Paul.

#8 Multiple renovations made to athletic facilities

Several Minot staples received key renovations throughout 2019.

Back in July, the Minot Park District board voted to expand the land around Maysa Arena. In a 4-1 vote, the board approved the purchase of 6.16 acres west of the ice arena from Sandman Partnership.

A host of new improvements to the land were discussed earlier in the year. An additional sheet of ice, a fieldhouse and an aquatic center all became points of interest for the park district.

In November, the Gokey Foundation and Northern Bottling Co./Pepsi of Minot gave its last $100,000 payment to the Maysa expansion project. The Minot Parks received a ceremonial check before the Minot Minotauros faced off against the St. Cloud Blizzard.

Duane Carlson Stadium received a sparkling new coat of turf this year. The $1.3 million project came to fruition in Minot High’s fall sports season.

After the Minot Public Schools Foundation pooled the necessary funds together, Mid-American Golf & Landscape, Inc. worked on the project. After breaking ground in May, the turf was ready by mid-September.

The newly-minted “Magic Carpet” turf hosted several soccer and football games throughout the fall.

After the Magi soccer team lost 4-1 to Bismarck Century on Sept. 19, head coach Creighton Bachmeier showered the new surface with praise.

“I’m so excited that we were able to finally play here,” said Bachmeier, who cut the ceremonial ribbon before the contest. “It’s nice to look across and see the maroon and gold and see the lit-up ‘M.'”

The MSU Dome also received a makeover. New red seats now grace every corner of the arena. Additionally, seating access became more convenient with entry points being made on the second level.

#9 Rugby girls basketball falls a shot short in pursuit of first state title

The Rugby Panthers’ stellar run to the girls basketball Class B state championship game started with a humbling defeat in the District 11 title game to Velva. It was the first time in four years that Rugby wasn’t crowned as district champions.

With something to prove in the Region 6 Tournament, the Panthers strung together three wins over three days.

After beating District 12 Tournament champions Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood in the semifinals, Rugby got its revenge with a 44-42 overtime victory over Velva in the Region 6 championship game. Senior Anni Stier made clutch free throws in the final seconds to aid a stellar 19-point performance from sophomore center Brooke Blessum.

Rugby returned to the state tournament for the third time in four seasons. But, an unlucky random draw saw the unseeded Panthers matched up with undefeated No. 1-seeded Kidder County in the opening round. No problem.

The Panthers pulled the upset with stifling defense, 47-39.

In the state semifinals, Rugby held No. 5 Hettinger-Scranton to four fewer points in a 42-35 defensive struggle. The Panthers had reached the program’s first state title game.

The memorable journey came to a crushing end when Kindred freshman Kristina Freier hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 15.7 seconds left to lift the Vikings to a 49-47 win over Rugby in the championship game at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

#10 Abundance of high school athletes partake in Signing Days

A large group of area high school athletes made the next step in their athletic careers this past year. Here’s a look back at those noteworthy signings:

Isaac Undlin, Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood football, signed with Minnesota State Moorhead football.

Jaxon Gunville, Minot High boys basketball, signed with Minot State men’s basketball.

Easton Larson, Minot High boys basketball, signed with Minot State men’s basketball.

Coy Spooner, Des Lacs-Burlington wrestling, signed with U.S. Coast Guard Academy wrestling.

Abigail Hoffarth, Minot High girls cross country/girls track and field, signed with North Dakota State track and field.

Allie Nelson, Minot High girls track and field, signed with North Dakota State track and field.

Olivia Lewis, Minot High girls soccer, signed with Wisconsin-Green Bay women’s soccer.

Brooklyn Casey, Minot High girls soccer, signed with Minot State women’s soccer.

Becca Tschetter, Minot High girls golf, signed with Grand Canyon women’s golf.

Kelby Armstrong, Minot High wrestling, signed with Minot State wrestling.

Jacob Carmichael, Minot High wrestling, signed with Minot State wrestling.

Emma Passa, Velva girls basketball, signed with U-Mary women’s basketball.

Kyley Lauf, Des Lacs-Burlington volleyball, signed with Valley City State volleyball.

Alex Schimke, Minot High baseball, signed with Lower Columbia baseball.

Karsyn Hager, Rugby girls basketball, signed with Bismarck State College women’s basketball.

Anni Stier, Rugby girls basketball and track and field, signed with Jamestown women’s basketball and track and field.

Maria Blessum, Rugby girls track and field, signed with North Dakota State track and field.

Alex Eisen/MDN Minot State wide receiver Lavante Bushnell points to a teammate to initiate a chest-bump after scoring his 17th career touchdown reception.

Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Minot High boys soccer head coach Creighton Bachmeier cuts a ceremonial ribbon before the Magi's first-ever game at Duane Carlson Stadium.

Al Christianson/Special to the MDN Rugby's Anni Stier (25) soars toward the rim for a layup in the semifinals of the Region 6 girls basketball tournament at the Minot Municipal Auditorium.

Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Minot High's Allie Nelson signs her national letter of intent with the North Dakota State University track and field team.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

• Daily Newsletter
• Breaking News
• Obituaries

Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

• Yes
• No