BISMARCK, ND – The University of Mary men's hockey season is underway. This is the first time this phrase has been said as the Marauders take on their first-ever hockey season. The Marauders made UMary history today with a practice at Schwan Cadillac Arena at Starion Sports Complex.
 
The new hockey team was announced 11 months ago and since then a lot of hard work has gone into making this season become a reality. A lot of time was spent recruiting the right players for the team, setting all the logistics including finding an arena to play in, creating a schedule for the season and publicizing the team.
 
The long journey of creating this team was headed by Daniel Huntley, the Marauders head hockey coach and Associate Director of Athletics. Huntley brings a vast amount of experience to the program, which will be crucial in building a Marauders hockey team from the ground up. Huntley began his hockey coaching career as an assistant at the College of St. Scholastica (1990-91) in Duluth, Minn., before working as a high school assistant hockey coach in Minnesota at the St. Paul Academy and Summit Schools (1991-93) and Apple Valley (1993-94). From 1994-1999, Huntley was the head hockey coach at Rainy River Community College and Director of Residential and Student Life. His teams were 78-40-4 overall, placed fourth in 1996 at the NJCAA National Tournament and won the national championship in 1999. He coached 14 All-Americans, earned three NJCAA Region XIII Ice Hockey Coach of the Year honors and was the 1999 NJCAA National Ice Hockey Coach of the Tournament. Huntley was inducted into the NJCAA Ice Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015.
 
Team camaraderie is always a question when building a new team, but Huntley does not see any problem with that!
 
"I think it's great," said Huntley. "We've got 16 North Dakota kids and four kids from outside the state. Those 16 in state guys are going to be integral for our success and building our program. They'll have a lot of supporters that are interested in coming to watch them."
 
It will be a long season for the Marauders with the first game starting in mid-September and the last game of the season not coming until March. Out-of-state destinations include trips to Idaho, Florida, Utah, Montana and Colorado.  
 
The Marauders begin their season at home on September 15 against North Dakota State University.
 
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