MANDAN, ND – After opening the night celebrating past successes, two-time defending national champion University of Mary took to the ice for the first time in the 2022-23 season and slowly dismantled future fellow conference member Waldorf University 6-1. Four different Marauders tallied goals in the game with Tucker Kruse providing bookend goals and Garrett Freeman also finding the net twice.
 
In front of a packed house of boisterous Marauders fans, UMary unveiled its 2021-22 ACHA Men's Division 2 championship banner, hanging right alongside the program's 2020-21 championship banner. The excitement soon turned to the ice.
 
The Warriors opened the scoring with a Tyler Nelson power play goal 4:02 into the game.
 
UMary needed just 21 seconds to find the equalizer. Playing in his first game with the Marauders, Kruse took a feed from Garrett Freeman and slid a backhanded shot between the pads of Warriors goalkeeper Jordan Berschiminsky for the final goal of the opening period.
 
Jaren Hugelen broke the tie with a goal late in the second period. Derek Dropik cleanly won the draw to the left of the Waldorf net. Hugelen picked up the puck, found himself alone outside the top of the circle and fired a low shot through Berschiminsky's pads for a 2-1 UMary lead.
 
Garrett Freeman doubled the Marauders lead to 3-1. Alex Flicek slid a pass to a wide-open Caleb Petrie, who unleashed a one-timer towards the net that Freeman tipped home to send UMary into the second intermission up two.
 
Freeman kept the Marauders rolling, firing home a low angle wrister just as the UMary power play opportunity expired 3:29 into the 3^rd period.
 
Skating 5-on-3 late in the game in part to a major penalty on the Warriors, Drew Lenertz blistered home a shot from inside the left circle to with under four minutes to play. Now on a 5-on-4 advantage, Kruse knocked home his second goal of the night with 74 seconds on the clock.
 
Freeman finished with four points on the night, adding two assists to his two goals. Kruse had two goals.  Petrie dished three assists in his UMary debut. Lenertz had a goal and an assist as he became the Marauders all-time leader in games played with 192. Flicek had two helpers in the game.
 
Reigning ACHA M2 Player of the Year Kyle Hayden was stellar in net after the early goal. Hayden turned away 24 of the 25 shots he faced in the game.
 
The Marauders finished the game with a 44-25 edge in shots.
 
The Marauders and the Warriors close out the two-game set at 2 pm on Sunday, September 25, at Starion Sports Center Schwan Cadillac Rink in Mandan, ND.
 
In 2023-24 UMary will join Waldorf as an ACHA Men's Division 1 member competing in the Midwest College Hockey conference.
 
M1 Waldorf University 1 at M2 University of Mary 4
Saturday, September 24, 2022 - Starion Sports Complex
 
M1 Waldorf University 1 0 0 - 1
M2 University of Mary 1 2 3 - 4
 
1st Period-1, M1 Waldorf University, Nelson 1 (Jackson, Ribbink), 4:02 (PP). 2, M2 University of Mary, Kruse 1 (Freeman, Lenertz), 4:23. Penalties-Scanlon Umary (tripping), 3:48; Deede M1wal (tripping), 4:58; Eskro Umary (major-grab face mask w/game misconduct), 4:58; Bender M1wal (hooking), 16:35; Witzke Umary (tripping), 17:42.
 
2nd Period-3, M2 University of Mary, Hugelen 1 (Dropik), 11:47. 4, M2 University of Mary, Freeman 1 (Petrie, Flicek), 17:10 (PP). Penalties-Hugelen Umary (interference), 11:59; Jimenez M1wal (interference), 15:13.
 
3rd Period-5, M2 University of Mary, Freeman 2 (Petrie, Flicek), 3:29. 6, M2 University of Mary, Lenertz 1 (Witzke), 16:24 (PP). 7, M2 University of Mary, Kruse 2 (Petrie, Freeman), 17:43. Penalties-No Penalties
 
Shots on Goal-M1 Waldorf University 13-7-5-25. M2 University of Mary 10-17-17-44.
Power Play Opportunities-M1 Waldorf University 1 / 4; M2 University of Mary 2 / 2.
Goalies-M1 Waldorf University, Berschiminsky 0-1-0-0 (42 shots-38 saves). M2 University of Mary, Hayden 0-0-0-0 (25 shots-24 saves).
 
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