JAMESTOWN, ND – Forced into a shootout after a wild third period and overtime session, University of Mary team captain Zach Garrett buried the puck on a penalty shot for the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the University of Jamestown. It is the 39
th win of the season for UMary's first year program.
The Marauders struck first when Garrett scored a shorthanded goal in the first period at the 8:15 mark, taking a feed from
Alex Flicek.
Cyril Nagurski doubled the UMary lead when he scored the lone goal of the second period. Andy Huber and
Drew Lenertz were credited with the assists.
In an already rugged game that featured 14 penalties through the first two periods (eight on the Jimmies), the two teams were whistled for 21 infractions in the third with Jamestown cited 12 times. The two teams combined for five major penalties and three ten-minute game misconducts or disqualifications in the third.
The Jimmies took clear advantage of the surrounding third period chaos. Eighteen seconds after Dylan Haney scored for Jamestown at the 10:40 mark to close the game within 2-1, a melee broke out on the ice that resulted in nine penalties whistled on four players, including a pair of major on both teams. Despite the Jimmies receiving penalties for being an instigator, fighting and leaving the bench, it was the Marauders who were called for the odd-numbered penalty. Playing with a man advantage, the Jimmies tied the game on a Trevor Okino power play goal at 11:43.
The Marauders and goalkeeper
Aaron Nelson soon righted the ship and forced the game into overtime. UMary took the only three shots of the extra session but with neither team scoring the game proceeded to a shootout.
Up first, Garrett immediately found the net and put the pressure on the Jimmies. Now with the lead, Nelson rejected all three Jamestown penalty shot attempts and secured the UMary win.
The victory is the second straight for the Marauders over the ACHA Division I Jimmies, with both wins coming on the road.
Nelson stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced and the Marauders outshot the Jimmies 36-28 in the game.
Though UMary scored shorthanded, the Marauders didn't convert a single one of their 11 power play opportunities. The Jimmies were 1-for-5 with a man advantage. UMary finished the game with 52 penalty minutes on 15 calls to 75 penalty minutes for Jamestown on 20 infractions.
First in the final ACHA Division II West region rankings after spending every week atop the leaderboard, the Marauders improved to an incredible 39-4-2-1 in UMary's inaugural season that has one game left to play.
An amazingly successful first season comes to a close for the Marauders when they host the Jimmies in the conclusion of their home-and-home weekend series. Face off is set for 7 pm on Saturday, March 2, at the Schwan Cadillac Arena at Starion Sports Complex in Mandan, ND.
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