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A new adventure awaits as the Minot State University (MSU) men's hockey team opened its season on the road last weekend, renewing a rivalry that's lain dormant for the past three years.
The three-time American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) National Champion Beavers hit the ice in Champaign, Illinois Friday, September 27, and Saturday, September 28, taking on the Fighting Illini in the season opener for both teams. The teams last met back in November of 2021 when the Beavers beat the Illini 8-2 and 5-0 at the Maysa Arena.
And while the opponent isn't new, the league is as Minot State is making its Midwest Collegiate Hockey (MCH) conference debut.
"I expect some good competition in a tough building," said Minot State head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk. "The ice sheet is large, there's a ton of room out there. We have been focusing on utilizing our speed, and it's going to be critical to clean up our defensive zone moving forward, especially with the wider ice. We are excited to get on the road and play our first two games as a member of the MCH."
And testing themselves against tough competition is exactly what the Beavers did the previous weekend with a pair of exhibitions in Canada against Saskatchewan and Briercrest.
Reid Arnold scored a pair of goals and Jay Buchholz added another in the weekend series that got Minot State some on-ice action against an opponent before opening the season.
"It was nice to finally play some games," said Waselenchuk. "I thought our compete level was fantastic on Thursday: We worked hard; we blocked shots; we did a lot of the little things that we look for as a staff. Friday was eye-opening, and the polar opposite. It showed us what happens when we don't match another team's work ethic, as we saw on the scoreboard. That being said, it was our first two games, against two incredible opponents that are going to have extremely successful seasons at their own level this season."
Minot State 4, Illinois 3
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – MSU freshman Williams Dyke earned career win No. 1 Saturday night in Illinois thanks to some help from his teammates.
Dyke made 26 saves in his first collegiate start and four different veteran Beavers put pucks in the net as Minot State completed a weekend sweep of the Illini, beating host the University of Illinois 4-3.
After seeing Illinois (0-2-0 overall, 0-2-0 MCH) jump in front early with a goal, Dyke settled in and backstopped the Beavers to a comfortable lead.
Payton Jerome scored midway through the first period to tie the score, then Colby Joseph and Joey Moffatt each scored in the second period for a 3-1 Minot State advantage.
Reid Arnold then netted what proved to be the game-winner with 5 minutes, 58 seconds gone in the third before the Illini made a determined charge.
Scoring goals 55 seconds apart, Illinois closed the gap to 4-3, but Dyke shut down the comeback for his first victory in goal.
With a pair of season-opening wins under their belt, the Beavers now head back to North Dakota for two more road games as they play at Mary on Wednesday, October 2,, then at Jamestown on Thursday, October 10.
Minot State 1, Illinois 0
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Minot State's Jake Anthony proved unbeatable in his season debut, turning aside all 17 shots he faced for his 13th career shutout, leading the Beavers to a 1-0 road win Friday night over host Illinois.
Along with being a season-opening win, the Beavers (1-0-0 overall, 1-0-0 MCH) also made a successful debut in their first Midwest Collegiate Hockey conference contest.
Anthony, who is No. 3 all-time in career shutouts at Minot State behind head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk (15) and Holden Kurtz (16), crept closer to the all-time record with his performance in the opener, keeping Minot State in a close game that was scoreless through the first two periods.
Christian Kadolph finally broke the scoreless tie with 7 minutes, 14 seconds left to play, finishing off an assist from Ben Johnson for the game's lone goal.
Illinois goalie Nolan Woodring was almost as good as Anthony, turning aside 37 of 38 shots, but couldn't fend off Kadolph's third-period chance as the Beavers skated away with the victory in both teams' season opener.