MANDAN, ND – An offensive onslaught headlined by
Tanner Eskro lifted the University of Mary to an 8-1 victory over Lindenwood University and extended the Marauders win streak to a nearly- incomprehensible 32 games.
In a pair of games between two of the premier programs in American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 2, the 2-time defending national champion Marauders opened homecoming weekend with a 4-0 victory on Friday before completing the 2-game sweep on Saturday.
UMary improves to 12-0 on the season while Lindenwood slips to 6-3. The Marauders remain undefeated against the Lions in six meetings as the Marauders own five wins and a draw, including a 6-1 victory in the 2022 ACHA M2 semifinals.
One night after the Marauders scored a pair of power play goals and held the Lions scoreless on six opportunities with a man advantage, the UMary specialty teams were even more potent on Saturday. The Marauders were 3-for-6 on the power play and also scored shorthanded while keeping the Lions off the scoreboard on the visitor's four opportunities with a man advantage.
A quick power play goal by
Johnny Witzke just 3:43 into the contest gave the Marauders a short-lived lead as Alex Villa tallied less than three minutes later to pull the Lions even at 1-1. It would prove to be Lindenwood's only goal of the weekend.
UMary regained the lead at 2-1 when
Seth Cushing scored at 8:50. The Marauders increased their advantage to 3-1 when Eskro posted a power play goal with 1:33 left in the opening period.
Eskro and the Marauders kept rolling in the second. The Fridley, MN, native scored again on the power play at 7:51 and soon followed with a shorthanded goal at 13:28 for a 5-1 lead.
A flurry of goals in the span just 2:07 in the third period put the game out of reach. A career-night for Eskro continued as he scored a fourth straight time for the Marauders at 5:50. Witzke followed with his second goal of the night at 6:35 and
Alex Flicek lit the lamp for the Marauders 8
th and final goal at 7:57.
Eskro finished the night with four goals and an assist. Witzke had a pair of goals and assists.
Garrett Freeman handed out three assists and
Drew Lenertz and
Liam Massie both had two helpers. Cushing and Flicek each added an assist on top of their goals as seven Marauders had multi-point games.
Conan Hayton had a huge night in net for the Marauders. He turned away 34 shots, including a trio of stops withing moments of one another in the third period.
The Marauders wrap up homecoming weekend at home against Utah State University on Sunday, October 23. Face off is set for 2 pm at the Starion Sports Complex Schwan Cadillac Rink.
M2 Lindenwood University 1 at M2 University of Mary 8 - Status: Final
Saturday, October 22, 2022 - Starion Sports Complex
M2 Lindenwood University 1 0 0 - 1
M2 University of Mary 3 2 3 - 8
1st Period-1, M2 University of Mary, Witzke 4 (Eskro, Huber), 3:43 (PP). 2, M2 Lindenwood University, Villa 1 (McClellan), 6:06. 3, M2 University of Mary, Cushing 6 (Massie, Flicek), 8:50. 4, M2 University of Mary, Eskro 3 (Freeman), 18:27 (PP). Penalties-Rupp Linm2 (interference), 3:37; Hugelen Umary (roughing), 6:06; Roofe Linm2 (high sticking), 9:08; Dhaliwal Linm2 (hooking), 16:42.
2nd Period-5, M2 University of Mary, Eskro 4 (Lenertz, Witzke), 7:51 (PP). 6, M2 University of Mary, Eskro 5 (Freeman), 13:28 (SH). Penalties-Rupp Linm2 (hooking), 3:43; Thomas Umary (interference), 5:13; Roofe Linm2 (too many men), 7:03; Cushing Umary (roughing), 12:20; Kruse Umary (roughing), 15:09.
3rd Period-7, M2 University of Mary, Eskro 6 (Witzke), 5:50. 8, M2 University of Mary, Witzke 5 (Freeman, Lenertz), 6:35. 9, M2 University of Mary, Flicek 1 (Massie, Cushing), 7:57. Penalties-McMahon Linm2 (tripping), 8:27; Mullen Linm2 (roughing), 8:27; Cushing Umary (roughing), 8:27.
Shots on Goal-M2 Lindenwood University 10-14-11-35. M2 University of Mary 7-10-13-30.
Power Play Opportunities-M2 Lindenwood University 0 / 4; M2 University of Mary 3 / 6.
Goalies-M2 Lindenwood University, Errico 3-1-0-0 (24 shots-17 saves); Bak 0-0-0-0 (6 shots-5 saves). M2 University of Mary, Hayton 4-0-0-0 (35 shots-34 saves).
A-735
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