GREELEY, CO – An
Andrew Huber hat trick rallied the visiting University of Mary hockey team past the University of Northern Colorado 4-2 in a meeting of the top two teams in the ACHA Division II West region. The top-ranked Marauders earned their second win in four days over the Bears and remained undefeated in three outings against the region's second-ranked squad.
The second-leading goal scorer for the Marauders this season, Huber had a strong weekend for the Marauders. In two wins over UNC sandwiched around a victory at the University of Denver, the Bismarck, ND, native produced four goals and two assists in three games.
UMary opened a three-game swing into the Rocky Mountains with a dominant 4-0 victory over Northern Colorado on Friday, Jan. 4. Monday's win didn't come as easy.
Northern Colorado jumped out to an early two-goal lead, scoring an even strength goal at 5:46 before converting on a power play less than two minutes later at 7:27.
Huber started the Marauders comeback when he scored his first goal of the evening just over five minutes later, pulling the Marauders within 2-1 at 12:49 of the first period. Zach Garrett and
Marshall Tschida provided the assists on the goal.
Down a goal and holding just a 10-8 advantage in shots after the end of the first period, the Marauders dominated the second, generating a massive 18-6 edge in shots while producing the lone goal when Huber found the net at 13:21 to tie the game 2-2. Garrett and
Ben Kottmeier earned assists on the goal.
With time running down and overtime a distinct possibility, Huber finally gave the Marauders their first lead of the night when he scored his 26
th goal of the year at 15:11 for a 3-2 UMary advantage. It completed his second hat trick of the season and proved to be his sixth game-winning goal. As on the first two goals of the game, Garrett provided the assist, his third of the evening.
A
Phillip Silveria goal late in the game sealed the Marauders victory. Silveria doubled the UMary advantage off an assist from
Alex Flicek at 18:38 of the third period.
Aaron Nelson earned the win in net for the Marauders, stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced, including all 15 fired at him in the last two periods.
The Marauders held a 42-23 edge in shots.
The victory boosts the Marauders record to 31-3-2 in their inaugural season. Against ranked teams in the West region UMary is 21-0-1.
UMary next faces ACHA Division I Minot State University in a home-and-home series. The Beavers first host the Marauders at 8 pm on Friday, Jan. 11. The Marauders then return home for the first time in a month when the Beavers visit the Schwan Cadillac Arena at Starion Sports Complex in Mandan, ND, on Saturday, Jan, 12, at 7 pm.
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