Submitted Photo The 2024-2025 MSU Women’s Hockey team is recognized as one of the best in the nation going into this season.

The Minot State University (MSU) women’s hockey team started the 2024-2025 American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) as the preseason number three ranked team in the country.

The first contest of the new season was against the number four ranked Midland University Warriors on the road in Fremont, Nebraska on Friday, September 27, and Saturday, September 28, and dropped both of those games.

The team has been undefeated since those two opening games.

This season’s team has eight seniors on the team. The 2023-2024 team had six seniors. This season’s team has the leadership to improve on the 2023-2024 season’s results.

Last year, the Lady Beavers were 24-12-0 with a conference record of 13-7-0 with 10-5-0 both home and away and 4-2-0 on neutral sites. The MSU women played in the ACHA finals against the third ranked Adrian College team that won the final 4-1 over the Beavers in St. Louis, Missouri in March.

MSU beat ninth ranked Michigan, firth ranked McKendree University and top ranked Liberty University during the 2023-2024 playoffs to make the final game.

Expectations are no different this season.

MSU has played eight games so far. The team is led by Journey Miller with nine points from four goals and five assists in the young season. She is followed by Paige Kozak with eight points from six goals and two assists and Olivia Opheim with seven points- all from assists.

In the net for MSU has been Haylie Biever for five games with a 2-2 record who has 148 saves for just over 94% save average. Morgan Baker has placed three games in net with a 2-0 record and faced 85 shots with just under 98% save average.

The third goalie for the Lady Beavers is Jillian Ackerman- a freshman with some local history. Jillian joins senior defender Paige Ackerman, junior forward Abby Tallman and sophomore forward Payton Lang as the Minot High Majettes alumni.

Tallman and the senior Ackerman are at five points on four goals, one assist and four points on one goal and three assists respectively on the young season. Lang is just behind them at three points on two goals and one assist as the local athletes have made impacts on the fresh season of play.

The 2024-2025 roster has two other athletes from North Dakota, two from Alaska and one from Minnesota. There are 18 skaters from the neighbors to the north in Canada.

MSU head coach Ryan Miner is at the start of his eighth season as the lead whistle holder for the Lady Beavers. Besides the runner up status from the 2023-2024 season, Miner also coached defender, Paige Ackerman, and goalie, Haylie Biever to WMCH All-Conference honors, had seven players named ACHA Academic All-Americans – Matayah Metz, Anna German, Haylie Biever, Makena Welby, Gillian Gervin, Aspen Cooper and P Ackerman – and saw Makena Welby, Aspen Cooper, and Haylie Biever earn ACHA National Tournament All-Tournament Team honors.

This year’s team has 33 games in the 2024-2025 season to prepare for the postseason play at the WMCH Tournament that begins Thursday, February 20, followed by the CSSHL/AAA games on Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 7, and end with the ACHA National Tournament on Monday, March 17, in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

The MSU women continue their 2024-2025 season with home games against Lindenwood University on Friday, November 1, and Saturday, November 2, at Maysa Arena. The Lady Beavers are currently ranked 12th in the latest AHCA polls.