The West Region No. 1-seeded Beavers exploded for another four-goal third period in a 5-0 victory Friday against East Region No. 4-seeded Boston College. The shutout win secured MSU’s spot in the semifinals of the ACHA Division II women’s national tournament.

In all three of MSU’s pool play games, the Beavers have managed to score four goals in the third period.

“I don’t know if the girls just like to play around with the other teams we are playing or what the deal is,” MSU assistant coach Donovan Gault said. “It’s been like that all year long and I’m fine with that, as long as we are playing well in the first two periods too.”

Following a scoreless opening period, senior Vanessa Grimstad finally got the Beavers on the board with a power play rebound goal halfway through the second period.

Photos by Alex Eisen/MDN Minot State captain Sami Jo Henry (left) exchanges a fist bump with MSU goaltender Shelby Tornato (right) after Henry scored the Beavers’ second goal 51 seconds into the third period Friday morning at the Children’s Health StarCenter in McKinney, Texas.

Boston College was gifted an opportunity to answer with a 5-on-3 power play for 56 seconds a few minutes later but couldn’t capitalize.

Despite outshooting Boston College heavily, the Beavers went into the second intermission only up a goal, 1-0.

“We went (into the locker room) and said, ‘You know what? This is your tournament to win,'” Gault said. The only team here that is going to beat us is us.’ We have been saying that all tournament long and the girls have kind of taken to that.”

Needing someone to step up, MSU captain Sami Jo Henry took over. The sophomore came through with two goals in under three minutes.

The first came on the power play, as Henry poached a rebound off a shot from near the boards by Cassidy Entz. The second was a gritty solo effort with the puck clanking the post before going in.

“We were struggling with our straight shots on their goalie,” Henry said. “So, we knew it was going to be a bouncing puck, a garbage goal. And we went out and got it done.”

Before Boston College could recoup, Mackenzie Balogh nabbed her tournament-leading eighth goal 42 seconds after Henry’s second goal.

In a matter of minutes, MSU had opened up a 4-0 lead.

“We just really got it cooking,” said Entz, who picked up her first point in the national tournament — as did defensive partner Clarissa Lewis — by assisting on Henry’s first goal.

Balogh, unable to achieve the rare feat of scoring three or more goals in three straight national tournament games, danced around a Boston College defender at center ice to at least break free for her second and final goal of the game.

Henry, Grimstad and Balogh each finished with two points in the 5-0 win. Thirteen out of MSU’s 14 active skaters have now recorded at least a point in the national tournament.

The Beavers outshot Boston College, 67-17, with BC goaltender Jessica Olivieri making 62 saves.

“(Olivieri) held her own,” Gault said. “We got a lot of shots on her and when you are facing that many shots, eventually you are going to get tired. We just had to get her to that point where she wasn’t able to get side to side on rebounds, and we took advantage of it.”

MSU goaltender Shelby Tornato started the contest and made 15 saves before allowing backup Jadin Flexhaug to play the final eight minutes.

Flexhaug made a pair of big saves late to preserve the shutout.

“I was 100 percent happy to hand it off to Jadin (Flexhaug),” Tornato said. “She did unreal in there… She handled it perfectly.”

MSU will face East Region No. 1-seeded Bishop’s University from Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada, in the national semifinals. The top-seeded Gaiters, like Minot State, have only lost one ACHA game this season.

Bishop’s University beat North Dakota State, 5-2, in its final pool play game on Friday to move on while also knocking the Bison out. MSU had played NDSU in the national semifinals the past two seasons.

“A part of me is torn,” Tornato said. “I’d like to play NDSU because they are a team we have played and beat this season. So, we know we are capable. But, it would be the third year in a row facing them in the semis. That gets a little old.”

Instead, the Beavers will take on a new challenger in Bishop’s University.

Puck drop remains at 10 a.m. this morning at the Children’s Health StarCenter in McKinney, Texas. The championship game on Sunday will be held at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.