MINOT, N.D. – A new season tips off this weekend for the Beaver women's basketball team, and a slew of new faces will look to power Minot State past the expectations of others into a postseason run.

But before the Beavers begin thinking about playoffs, this opening weekend will set the bar for Minot State as they head to the D-II Tip-off Classic hosted by Montana State Billings where the Beavers play No. 5-ranked Tampa (Fla.) on Friday, Florida Tech on Saturday, then No. 19 Angelo State (Texas) on Sunday.

"This time of year, every year, you're very excited about it if you're a college basketball coach," third-year Minot State head coach Mike Brandt said. "This year's no different, they continue to be exciting, maybe more exciting than the one's prior too; I enjoy it, I love the game and I'm happy with the team we have. … It's going to take some time to gel this team and get them all together but I'm really excited about the potential that we have."

Following the weekend in Montana, the Beavers head to Missouri to play Fort Hays State (Kan.) and Southern Nazarene (Okla.) in the Central Region Showcase before finally making their home debut at the MSU Dome hosting No. 15-ranked MSU Billings on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m.

This weekend, against two of last year's national tournament qualifiers and preseason Top 25 teams, will definitely give Minot State a chance to build that team chemistry and find its identity, just a few of the goals for the weekend.

"When you play a program like that you really have nothing to lose," Brandt said of the opener against fifth-ranked Tampa, adding, "one thing is for sure, we're going to work our tail off and give them a great fight."

Hard work will be one of the keys for a youthful team without a senior, and just three juniors including returning 5-foot-8 guard and captain Emma Mogen.

Mogen has played in 52 games during her Beaver career, averaging 5.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.

"Emma Mogen has been a great leader for us," Brandt said. "She has been in our program with me as a coach for 3 years."

She's joined by returning sophomores Jaime Skeggs, a 5-9 guard, Vilborg Jonsdottir, a 5-5 point guard, Lorelei McIver, a 6-0 forward, and Emily Srejma, a 6-4 center, all of whom are tentatively slated to start for Minot State.

"Those four are really, really solid players and pleasantly - I wouldn't say surprised - pleasantly pleased in how well they're playing this year.

"Another thing about this team, those four included, they really want it," Minot State's coach said. "They want to be a good basketball team; they work hard in practice, they take coaching well, and their leadership is extremely strong."

As for the newcomers, Coach Brandt expects that each will have an impact this season for the Beavers, including this weekend as 12 players will suit up for Minot State during the road trip.

"I'm confident in all 12 players going into the game," he said, "I think that's going to be a huge asset for us."

Three of the newcomers already boast collegiate experience in junior transfers Cassidy King, a 5-6 guard from Butte College, and Sydney Gustavsson, a 5-7 junior from Bismarck State, along with sophomore transfer Taylor Goss, a 5-10 guard from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

King was a two-time all-conference player in California, Gustavsson was an NJCAA All-American last season at Bismarck, and Goss played in five games for NCAA Division I Edwardsville.

While they add depth and experience, so does a group of five true freshmen, as Coach Brandt says the team has more 3-point shooters this season, will have key defensive players, and adds depth inside, making the team well-rounded.

"Hopefully, we'll do a little bit of everything," he said, "and that's how you become a really good basketball team is not to be one-dimensional."

And that's the goal, to become a really good team, one that can exceed others' preseason expectations and make an impact in the NSIC, and potentially beyond.

"Our goal, and my goal here is we're trying to develop a championship mentality, we're trying to be able to be a tough team."