WILLISTON, ND – In one final tune-up before the Mountain West Conference championships this weekend, the nation's top-ranked University of Mary squad routed homestanding Williston State College 9-2. Seth Cushing scored a hat trick and posted four points and Zach Garrett dished out four assists to lead a potent Marauders attack.
 
Ranked first nationally in ACHA Division II for a third straight week and the fourth time this season, the Marauders improve to 36-7 overall. The Tetons are 9-22-0-1.
 
After a quiet start to the game, the Marauders struck twice in the final five minutes of play in the first period. Andy Huber found the net first, scoring at 15:10. Just 75 seconds later Phillip Silveria doubled the Marauders score to 2-0.
 
The forward progression in scoring for the Marauders included three goals in the second and four in the third. Cyril Nagurski started the scoring with a goal at 2:19 in the middle stanza, followed by two goals from Cushing in only 41 seconds.
 
Cushing closed out his first hat trick for the Marauders when he found the net just 1:18 into the final period. Matt Winkle, Kyler Moore and Johnny Witzke all added goals in the third period as UMary outscored the Tetons 4-2 in the last session.
 
Five Marauders had multi-point games. Cushing finished with four points, adding an assist to his three goals. He now has five goals in the last two games and 29 on the season. Garrett dished four assists. Huber and Moore both finished with a goal and two assists. Nagurski had a goal and an assist for two points.        
 
The Marauders next compete in their first-ever Mountain West tournament in Provo, Utah. The tournament's top seed earned a first round bye and will face a team yet to be determined in the semifinal round on Friday, Feb. 7. The championship game is slated for Saturday, Feb. 8.
 
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