Nathan Beitler/MDN Minot State redshirt senior Evan Lovett (center) dives into the endzone to score the first of his three touchdowns for the Beavers in their homecoming game against the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears

The Minot State Beavers played their homecoming game over the weekend on Saturday, Sept. 13, against the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears, losing the game 21-27.

The Golden Bears were the first to put points on the board after their sophomore Garian Denson intercepted the ball, putting Concordia-St. Paul on the 21 yard line. Concordia-St. Paul junior Carter Zezulka caught the touchdown pass to give the Golden Bears their lead in the first quarter. They were able to secure the extra point making the score 7-0. The Beavers would then respond in kind with their own touchdown with just over a minute to go in the first quarter. Redshirt senior Evan Lovett ran the ball in from the one-yard line and dove through the defense for the Beavers’ first touchdown of the game. The extra point would secure the tie heading into the second quarter.

Just a few minutes into the second quarter, Golden Bears sophomore running back Parkees Harris gave CSP their lead back, rushing the ball through the Beavers’ defense. The Golden Bears secured their second extra point of the game, giving them a new lead of 14-7. The Beavers kept up the fight and Lovett scored his second touchdown of the game with just under three minutes left in the half. The extra point once again tied the game for the Beavers, this time with a score of 14-14.

Before the end of the half, the Golden Bears were able to rush down the field in under two minutes and completed the first touchdown pass of the game. CSP went three for three on their extra points, giving them the lead for the third time in the first half with a score of 21-14 before the half ended.

Both teams kept each other at bay, not allowing a single point to the score, but Minot State continued the fight through into the fourth quarter. Evan Lovett scored his third rushing touchdown for the Beavers on September 13, diving in once again to help tie the game. Minot State scored the extra point, leaving the score 21-21 with just over five minutes left in the ball game.

The excitement in the stadium quickly died down as the Golden Bears’ first possession after the Beavers’ touchdown saw a wide-open receiver make a diving catch on the opposite 31 yard line. That same possession, Golden Bears senior Troy Ellison, the same receiver as before, scored a touchdown for CSP, once again returning the lead to the Golden Bears. Though the extra point would fail, an interception on the next Beaver possession would all but seal the deal for the Golden Bears. Unable to regain possession of the ball in the last minutes of the game, the Beavers would drop their homecoming game against the Golden Bears.

Concordia-St. Paul earned their first win in Minot since 2015 on Saturday evening, September 13 and will go into the next week having earned their first conference win and first win of the season in their game against the Beavers. Minot State is still looking for their first win of the season as they head to Winona State University in Minnesota on Saturday, September 20.