PROVO, UT – Competing in their first Mountain West Collegiate Hockey League tournament, the University of Mary exploded for three goals in each of the final two periods and earned a spot in the championship game.
Dalton Johnson and
Seth Cushing both tallied twice for the Marauders in a 7-4 win over Utah State University.
UMary will play the University of Providence for the MWCHL championship on Saturday, Feb 8. Game time is 4:30 pm CST / 3:30 pm MST. The two teams split a pair of games in Mandan, ND, at the start of January.
Ranked first nationally in American College Hockey Association Division 2 and the top team in the West region, the Marauders entered the Mountain West tournament as the top seed. After a first-round bye for UMary in the program's first-ever appearance in the MWCHL tournament, the Aggies had to open the tournament with a win to earn the right to face the Marauders for a third time this season. UMary won both previous meetings by scores of 10-0 and 4-2.
With both teams playing tentative early, the Marauders took the lead late in the first period when
Dalton Johnson scored at 16:08 with UMary on the man advantage.
Johnny Witzke and
Matt Winkle provided the helpers.
The Aggies pulled even with a Connor Mckeachnie goal at 6:16 of the second period.
UMary took back the lead just over two minutes later, exploding for three goals in a span of 2:03. Cushing opened the floodgates, finding the net at 8:38. Less than two minutes later,
Logan Kraft pushed the Marauders lead to 3-1. UMary then added another goal 31 seconds later when Winkle beat Aggies goaltender Colter Pritchard at 10:41.
Not fading away, Sean Johnston scored with 56 seconds left in the second period to close the Marauders lead to 4-2.
The final period played out the same way, with UMary scoring three times in the third period to just twice for Utah State. Johnson struck first for an unassisted goal at 8:24 before
Phillip Silveria game UMary a 6-2 lead at 11:12. Continuing to battle, the Aggies scored twice to pull within 6-4, including the first shorthanded goal the Marauders had allowed all season.
Cushing closed the scoring on an unassisted goal with four seconds left in the game.
Johnson had a 3-point game to lead the Marauders attack, adding an assist to his two goals. Cushing and Winkle both had two-point nights.
Kyle Hayden registered 25 saves on the night for the Marauders with UMary outshooting Utah State 36-29. The Marauders converted on 1-of-3 power play opportunities while the Aggies failed to score on two opportunities with a man advantage.
The Marauders improve to 37-7. The Aggies are 16-13-2-1.
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