MANDAN, ND –
Johnny Witzke scored a hat trick and the top-ranked University of Mary hockey team overwhelmed the University of Jamestown 8-1. The win gives the Marauders a weekend sweep over the Jimmies.
The top-ranked team in ACHA Division 2 for the third straight week and the fourth week this season, UMary faced Jamestown's first year ACHA D2 team this weekend for the first time. The Marauders outscored the Jimmies 13-2 in the home-and-home series and held a massive 115-28 edge in shots over the two games. UMary improves to 35-7 on the season. Jamestown is 3-15.
After a quiet start to the game,
Seth Cushing opened the scoring for the Marauders at 11:35 of the first period. Less than two minutes later, Witzke scored a power play goal to double the UMary advantage.
Following a Keegan Wright goal for Jamestown at 16:18 with a man advantage, Witzke pushed the Marauders lead to 3-1 at 17:14 on his second goal of the game.
Witzke completed the hat trick just 3:05 into the second period as the Marauders lead grew 4-1. UMary then took advantage of Jamestown mistakes to bury the Jimmies as
Marshall Tschida (6:11) and
Seth Cushing (11:49) scored power play goals. The Marauders finished 3-for-4 on the power play while the Jimmies finished 1-for-3.
Alex Flicek added the Marauders fourth goal of the stanza at 15:48, sending UMary into the second intermission with an insurmountable 7-1 advantage.
The scoring onslaught continued when
Logan Kraft found the net with less than three minutes remaining in the game.
Lance Knudson and
Maysion Mattern combined to stop 10 of the 11 shots they faced in the game. Knudson had six saves through the first two periods before Mattern stopped all four he faced in the third. In a total of six periods this season Mattern has yet to allow a goal.
Four Marauders posted three points in the game. Witzke had three goals, Cushing had two goals and an assist, Flicek scored once and assisted on two, and
Dalton Johnson rang up three assists.
Drew Lenertz and
Zach Garrett both had two assists. Overall 11 Marauders produced points in the game.
Overall the Marauders held a 57-11 edge in shots.
UMary next faces Williston State College on the road on Tuesday, Feb. 4, before heading to the Mountain West conference championships in Provo, UT, on Feb. 7-8.
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