MINOT, N.D. – The Ice Bears sure didn't play like the 23^rd-ranked team in the nation, but they couldn't derail the defending national champs, either.

Visiting Missouri State gave the No. 1-ranked Minot State Beavers a battle, but a pair of third-period goals helped Minot State skate away with a 5-3 victory Thursday night at the Maysa Arena.

Minot State (7-0-0 overall) is back in action again Friday night hosting Waldorf (Iowa) in the first of two games with puck-drop at 7:30 p.m. The game is "Food Drive Friday" night and anyone donating 3 nonperishable food items at the door gets in free.

Thursday against the Ice Bears (4-2-1), Minot State started off strong as Brayden Pawluk scored a power-play goal with 9 minutes, 32 seconds gone in the first to open the scoring, then Trenton Curtis netted his first of the night with 57 seconds left in the opening stanza for a 2-0 Beaver lead.

But the visitors made it interesting, scoring a pair of early second-period goals just a minute apart to draw even.

Minot State captain Carter Barley broke the tie with the Beavers' second power-play goal of the night with 11:49 gone in the second, but Missouri State evened the score once again, tying it 3-3 with 3:30 left in the second on a power-play goal of their own.

Locked in a tight battle through the first 40 minutes, Minot State took control in the third as Curtis scored what proved to be the game-winner 7:28 into the final period, then Colby Joseph added an insurance goal with 7:16 left to help ice the win.

Jake Anthony finished with 27 saves as he earned his fifth victory in goal on the season for the Beavers.