On the heels of a canceled two-game home series against Lindenwood University, the Minot State women’s hockey squad hit the road for a brief two-game set in Fremont, Nebraska Oct. 21-22. The Beavers battled in a pair of tight contests but were swept by the Midland University Warriors and the Adrian College Bulldogs by respective 4-2 and 3-1 final scores.

The two teams in the Beavers’ trip opener brought a sense of familiarity into the contest, as Minot State had faced the Warriors in two games to kick off the 2021-22 campaign.

The Beavers swept the first series by a combined five goals to three, and their Thursday contest foreshadowed another close matchup as Minot State netminder Haylie Biever and Midland goaltender Hannah Stone each worked spotless first periods.

A pair of penalties were the Beavers’ undoing in the middle frame when the Warriors cashed in twice on the power play to bring a 2-0 lead into the final period.

Minot State’s offense was able to gain traction in the final period, as Ensley Fendelet potted her second score of the young season just 63 seconds in.

Haley Wickham would later add a second goal on the man advantage after a Midland tripping penalty just past the halfway point of the frame, but two more Warriors goals on either side of the second Beavers score iced the Midland win. The 4-2 loss was the first of the campaign for Minot State.

The Beavers found themselves on the losing end of another tight contest Friday night to close out the Nebraska trip. Backstopped by goalie Jordan Ivanco, the Beavers began again with a scoreless first frame against an Adrian College team MSU had not seen since a 3-1 loss in the 2021 ACHA National Tournament.

The Bulldogs struck for one in the middle frame and two more in the third, answered only by Fendelet’s second goal in as many days. The Minot State offense could not solve the Adrian defensive effort, though, and would suffer a 3-1 defeat, its second loss in as many nights.

The Beavers will look to return to the win column in the first of a two-game home-and-home series against Concordia College at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in Moorhead, Minnesota.