Mike Kraft/MDN University of Jamestown’s Brad Fortin (9) scores the game-winning goal in overtime as Jordan Baranesky (21) collides with Minot State goaltender Will Dyke on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Maysa Arena.

For the majority of the third period with its backs to the wall, the third-ranked Minot State men’s hockey team looked like a team with all the firepower necessary to capture its fourth national championship in program history.

For the rest of the game, the Beavers didn’t even look like the top team in the state against the visiting University of Jamestown on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Minot State scored three goals in a span of 10 minutes to mount a furious third-period rally to force overtime, but Jamestown’s Brad Fortin sent the sixth-ranked Jimmies home a winner with the deciding goal 3:18 into the extra session, knocking off the Beavers 4-3 at Maysa Arena. The loss for Minot State snapped a 27-game home winning streak dating back to Nov. 3, 2023, when the Beavers again fell to Jamestown.

“When you decide to play 12 minutes out of 60, it’s going to make for a tough night against anybody and especially against a team like that,” MSU coach Wyatt Waselenchuk said. “We probably got what we deserved. At the end of the day I was proud of the way the guys upped their compete level toward the end, but at the end of the day you can’t compete for 12 minutes. You learn from it, but it definitely stings. It’s been a long time since we lost one at home and maybe it’s a good thing. It’s certainly a good thing it happened early and we’ll learn from it and hopefully grow.”

The Jimmies (5-1-0) put two shots on goal during the 3-on-3 overtime period, with the second coming off the stick of Fortin for his third goal of the season. Fortin took a feed from Sully Ross while Jordan Baranesky crashed the net looking for a potential rebound. There was no rebound to be found as Fortin wristed a shot past Minot State goaltender Will Dyke moments before being barreled into by Baranseky.

“It was just a great pass and I had some space and Baranesky did a great job of driving the net and I just shot it and it went in,” Fortin said. “It’s a big game. They are our rivals and it’s great to get the win. It feels great.”

Through two full periods and nearly half of another, overtime didn’t seem like it would be necessary. Jamestown led 2-0 with 13 minutes remaining in regulation and the Beavers (1-0-1) had yet to generate many quality scoring opportunities. But the Beavers’ leadership group stepped up and provided a spark, beginning with Colby Joseph, who was the first to solve Jamestown goaltender Brandon Weare to cut the deficit in half at 7:31 of the third period.

The Jimmies pushed the lead back to two less than two minutes later, but the Beavers used the power play to eventually draw even late in the game. Christian Kadolph again pulled Minot State to within a goal at 3-2 following a tripping penalty to Jamestown’s Tanner Freed. With 10 seconds remaining on the man advantage, Kadolph wristed a shot from the blue line through traffic that beat Weare stick side.

“It was a pretty good game both ways,” Jamestown coach Dean Stork said. “I thought Minot played pretty well, too. Every game we play against Minot State, it’s just a battle. The team that sticks with it and doesn’t quit wins. We just kept going and kept coming and got some pretty crucial goals after they scored. That third one was huge for us because they had a little bit of momentum and the penalty kill was not great. I thought the penalties that were called were suspect, but you keep battling away.”

The Beavers didn’t wait as long to light the lamp on their next power play opportunity. A roughing penalty by Griffin Bourassa resulting from an MSU player ending up in the back of the net, ending with the puck winding up in the netting 40 seconds later on a deflection in front off the stick of captain Jay Buchholz. Buchholz redirected the puck off a shot from Austin Clyne to tie the game with 2:54 remaining.

“We just decided that enough was enough,” Waselenchuk said. “Our bench got a lot louder and we had a lot more energy and the guys have to understand that any team that comes into this building, it’s a huge one for them and an opportunity to knock us off. Kudos to Jamestown and what they did tonight because they played a tough game against us.”

Carter Johnson provided Jamestown’s offense through the first two periods, scoring a goal in each. He opened the scoring 5:21 into the first on a shot from the blue line that got by Dyke top shelf on the blocker side. His second came late in the second off a turnover in Minot State’s defensive zone.

“We didn’t play to our identity in terms of speed,” Waselenchuk said. “I thought our D-zone got better as the game wore on, but just not enough substance in the offensive zone. We were turning pucks over and kind of cheating the game a little, just hoping for a hope and a prayer and against a good team like that that’s incredibly defensive, it’s not going to happen for you most nights if you’re not doing it the right way.”

The Beavers held a 31-25 advantage in shots on goal, outshooting the Jimmies in all but the first period. Weare finished with 28 saves to earn the victory. Dyke stopped 21 shots for Minot State.

Jamestown’s overtime victory led to a weekend split between the two in-state rivals. The Beavers won the series opener, 3-2, on Friday, Oct. 10, at John L. Wilson Arena in Jamestown, scoring three unanswered goals and holding on late for their first win of the season.

The Beavers received goals from Walker Jerome, Joey Moffatt and Joseph in the victory. Dyke earned the win in net, recording 24 saves.

The two teams will meet four more times during the regular season and potentially match up again during the Midwest College Hockey Tournament in late February. Despite both teams having a win in their back pocket against the other early in the season, they aren’t satisfied.

“We want what they have,” Stork said. “They’re No. 3, we’re No. 6. We want to be No. 3, so these games are important.”

Minot State hosts a weekend series with Maryville University beginning on Friday, Oct. 17, at Maysa Arena at 7:30 p.m.