THIS WEEK
Returning home after three straight wins on the road last weekend, the University of Mary hockey team plays their next four games at the Starion Sports Complex Schwan Cadillac Rink in Mandan ND. First UMary faces off in a pair of contests against a visiting University of Cincinnati squad. The Marauders and Bearcats first face off on Saturday, January 14, at 7 pm. The second and final game is slated for 2 pm on Sunday, January 15. UMary then welcomes the University of Minnesota Crookston to town for a 2 pm matinee on Monday, January 16. The run of home games wraps up Wednesday, January 18, as UMary plays the University of Jamestown ACHA M1 squad for the first time this season. Game time between the Marauders and the Jimmies is 7 pm.
 
THE RECORD
The Marauders are 24-4-1 this season, including a 17-3-1 mark against ACHA M2 teams with a 7-1 record against ACHA M1 foes.
 
PLEASED TO MEET YOU
This weekend will be the first time UMary and the University of Cincinnati have played one another.
 
RECOGNITION FACTOR
The Marauders are 4-0 all-time against the University of Minnesota Crookston… UMary is 6-7-1 all-time against the University of Jamestown ACHA M1 program.
 
LAST WEEK
The Marauders opened 2023 with four straight wins… Garrett Freeman scored two goals in UMary's 4-1 win over visiting Dakota College to open the new year… Isaiah Thomas had a goal and three assists in each of UMary's back to back road wins over Waldorf University as the Marauders won by scores of 5-1 and 7-2… Seth Cushing and Garrett Freeman both posted a pair of goals in UMary's 6-2 win at Midland University in the first meeting between the Marauders and the Warriors.
 
FUTURE PREVIEW
Last weekend the Marauders got to experience some of what the future holds for the program when the team visited Waldorf University and Midland University. UMary makes the move to compete in American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 and in Midwest College Hockey starting in the 2023-24 season. Waldorf and Midland – both nicknamed the Warriors – are MCH members.
 
MARAUDERS TO BEGIN COMPETING IN ACHA M1 AND MCH IN 2023-24
When the Marauders make the move up to compete in American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division I starting in the 2022-23 season, the Marauders will also be competing in Midwest College Hockey. The seventh member, UMary joins Illinois State University (Normal, IL), Jamestown University (Jamestown, ND), McKendree University (Lebanon, IL), Midland University (Fremont, NE), Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL), and Waldorf University (Forest City, IA) in the MCH. All MCH teams are expected to play a 20-game regular season conference schedule and the MCH Regular Season Champion will be determined on a points basis. The MCH Playoff Tournament is held at the conclusion of the MCH regular season in late February/early March. The MCH Playoff Tournament format will see two games on Day 1 (3 vs 6, 4 vs 5), two games on Day 2 (1 vs lowest seeded Day 1 winner, 2 vs highest seeded Day 1 winner) and a Championship game on Day 3. Starting with the 2022-2023 season, the winner of the MCH Playoff Tournament will be awarded the MCH's autobid to the ACHA Men's Division 1 National Championships.
 
RANKINGS
Two-time defending national champion University of Mary retains its top national ranking in the final poll of 2022. The Marauders have topped the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division II poll in four of the five rankings released for the 2022-23 season.
 
In games against current Top 25 teams, the Marauders are 9-2-1. UMary has faced #2 Montana State (1-1), #3 Lindenwood (2-0), #5 Saint Thomas (1-1), #8 Utah State (1-0), #9 Liberty (2-0-1), #13 Montana (1-0) and #22 Marian (1-0).
 
The Marauders also top the ACHA M2 West Region poll.
 
ACHA M2 NATIONAL RANKINGS
1. University of Mary
2. Montana State University
3. Lindenwood
4. Florida Gulf Course
5. Saint Thomas
6. Trine
7. Concordia (WI)
8. Utah State
9. Liberty
10. Denver
11. Metro State Denver
12. Miami (OH)
13. Montana
14. Weber State
15. Kentucky
16. Massachusetts
17. Northern Colorado
18. Ohio
19. Minnesota Crookston
20. Indiana
21. Lake Superior State
22. Marian
23. Ohio State
24. Northeastern
25. Boston
 
ACHA M2 WEST REGION RANKINGS
1. UMary
2. Montana State
3. Utah State
4. Denver
5. Metro State Denver
6. Montana
7. Weber State
8. Northern Colorado
9. Utah
10. Dakota College
11. Washington
12. Grand Canyon
13. Williston State
14. Arizona State
15. UCLA
16. Colorado
17. Colorado State
18. Loyola Marymount
19. East Texas Baptist
20. Utah Valley
 
28
After winning their first eight games of the season, the Marauders set a program record with a 28 game win streak. UMary finished the 2021-22 season on a 20-game win streak. The winning streak was halted by a 2-2 draw at Liberty University on October 14. Originally declared a forfeit win after the Flames improperly used a skater during a shootout, the result was recently changed to a tie.
 
34
Undefeated in their first 14 games of the season after closing the 2021-22 season with 20 straight wins, the Marauders set a program record with a 34 game undefeated streak.
 
11
The Marauders have posted 11 shutouts in just 29 games this year to tie the program record set last season.
 
BRICK WALL
Reigning ACHA M2 Player of the Year Kyle Hayden is having another exceptional season. In his fourth season at UMary, Hayden has a 15-2-1 record this season with a microscopic 0.99 Goals Against Average and a dominant 96.3% save percentage. He also has nine shutouts, a single season team record.
 
IRON
Drew Lenertz has played all 220 games in school history, a team record… Opening weekend of the 2022-23 season was the first time Lenertz hadn't skated aside Marshall Tschida, Defensive partners for four seasons, the duo were paired together for the first 191 games in program history.
 
SHARING THE LOAD
Nineteen total Marauders have scored a goal this season and 20 have at least a goal or an assist… 14 Marauders own game-winning goals… Kyle Hayden, Conan Hayton and Zach White have seen time in net. Both Hayden (9) and Hayton (2) own multiple shutouts.
 
LEADERS
Despite missing seven games, forward Isaiah Thomas leads the Marauders with 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists)… Seth Cushing paces the Marauders in goals (15)  and is third in points (27)… Defenseman Johnny Witzke is second in points (11g 19a) with 30… Thomas, Cushing and Garrett Freeman lead the Marauders with 3 game-winning goals apiece… Close behind in scoring is Alex Flicek (5-21-26), Caleb Petrie (8-15-23), Garrett Freeman (8-14-22) and Tanner Eskro (9-11-22).
 
VETERANS
Headlined by All-Americans Kyle Hayden and Johnny Witzke the Marauders bring back 16 players from their 2022 ACHA M2 championship team… Hayden, Witzke, Drew Lenertz, Riley Scanlon, Seth Cushing, Tanner Eskro, Alex Flicek, Braeden Zaste, Cyril Nagurski, Derek Dropik, Jaren Hugelen and Conan Hayton have played on both the 2021 and 2022 championship teams.
 
DAY 1
Drew Lenertz, Alex Flicek and Cyril Nagurski are starting their 5th seasons with Marauders hockey and have been with the program from season 1 in 2018-19.
 
WELCOME BACK
A Marauders hockey original, Andy Huber returns to the UMary program after a year away. The Bismarck, ND, native earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2020 and helped lead the Marauders to the 2021 ACHA M2 title, producing a hat trick in the semifinal win. He spent the 2021-22 season in Washington, D.C., while serving in the Unites States National Guard's 816th military police unit. Huber is now pursuing a graduate degree in Business Administration.
 
 
All MCH teams are expected to play a 20-game regular season conference schedule and the MCH Regular Season Champion will be determined on a points basis. The MCH Playoff Tournament is held at the conclusion of the MCH regular season in late February/early March. The MCH Playoff Tournament format will see two games on Day 1 (3 vs 6, 4 vs 5), two games on Day 2 (1 vs lowest seeded Day 1 winner, 2 vs highest seeded Day 1 winner) and a Championship game on Day 3. Starting with the 2022-2023 season, the winner of the MCH Playoff Tournament will be awarded the MCH's autobid to the ACHA Men's Division 1 National Championships.
 
2021-22 SLAP SHOT REVIEW
Marauders won their 2nd straight ACHA M2 championship
Defeated Florida Gulf Coast University 3-2 in triple-overtime championship game on a goal by Seth Cushing
Zach Garett (1st team), Seth Cushing (1st), Johnny Witzke (1st), Kyle Hayden (2nd) and Marshall Tschida (2nd) named to ACHA M2 All-Tournament team
UMary finished 2021-22 season 38-4-1-2 overall
Kyle Haden was named the ACHA M2 Player of the Year
Kyle Hayden and Zach Garrett (1st team) and Johnny Witzke (2nd) earned ACHA M2 All-American honors
The NDAPSSA named Kyle Hayden the non-school male athlete of the year and the Marauders were the 2022 non-school team of the year for a 2nd straight year
The Marauders were 14-2 at home
 
NEXT UP
The Marauders start a four-game home stand when they host the University of Cincinnati on January 14-15 and the University of Minnesota Crookston January 16.
 
TICKETS
Game tickets for Marauders athletics are available online at www.UMaryTickets.com and at the gate for all UMary athletics. Adult tickets for hockey are $10 + fees while senior citizen and youth tickets (13-18 years old) are $5 + fees when purchased online at www.umarytickets.com. Tickets purchased at the gate are $15 (cash only) for adults and $10 for seniors and youth 13-18.
 
UMary students and faculty and staff with their MCard and youth 12 and younger are admitted free.
 
Please note that ticket sales at the gate are CASH ONLY purchases. If needed, ATMs are located by the ticket gate at the Starion Sports Complex Schwan Cadillac Rink.
 
Fans receive a discounted rate on tickets when purchased online at www.umarytickets.com than at the gate. Fans are also able to purchase tickets using credit and debit cards when ordering online while sales at the ticket booth are cash only.
 
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