MANDAN, ND – Two pairs of back-to-back lighting strike goals and an incredible performance in net by All-American
Kyle Hayden carried #1 University of Mary over visiting #8 University of Jamestown 5-1.
Andrew Huber scored two goals and
Johnny Witzke and
Caleb Petrie both had two assists in the Marauders win.
The UMary victory evens up the all-time series between the two-time defending American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 2 Marauders and the Jimmies ACHA M1 program at 7-7-1.
Winners of eight straight games, the Marauders improve to 28-4-1 this season. The Jimmies are 15-8.
Striking for a pair of first period goals less than two minutes apart gave the Marauders the early advantage.
Alex Flicek, UMary's all-time leading scorer, posted the Marauders first goal. Chasing down a loose puck into the right corner,
Caleb Petrie delivered a perfect pass into the slot for the trailing Flicek. Taking the puck on his backhand, the lefthanded shooting Flicek pivoted to his forehand in one fluid motion and fired against the grain into the left side of the net 11:44 into the game for a 1-0 UMary lead.
The Marauders needed just 70 seconds to double their lead. Breaking out from their defensive zone after UMary intercepted a Jimmies pass,
Derek Dropik received the puck in front of the UMary bench and skated down the left boards. After Dropik entered the Jamestown defensive zone he played the puck forward to
Liam Massie inside the left circle. Just before reaching the end line, Massie pivoted and fired a perfect pass onto the tape of Huber in the slot. Huber quickly unleashed a one-timer high into the net for his 7
th goal this season and 84
th of his career.
One of the best scoring opportunities for Jamestown came just past the midpoint of the season period. Gaining a breakout on a long pass from the defensive zone, a Jimmies skater sailed in unopposed towards the Marauders net but was turned away on a huge save from Hayden at 10:48 of the second period. It was one of 25 saves Hayden made in the middle stanza and preserved the Marauders two-goal lead.
Continuing to convert scoring opportunities when presented, the Marauders tallied a third time at 16:15 of the second period.
With Flicek creating a 2-on-1 breakaway in the neutral zone,
Isaiah Thomas carried the puck into the offensive zone before sliding the puck to his left into the slot just outside the crease to
Cyril Nagurski. Thwarted on his first attempt to score by Jimmies goalkeeper Brandon Weare, Nagurski pounced on the loose puck and knocked it into the net for UMary's third goal of the game.
Just like the first period, UMary once again scored a second goal in quick succession. Taking advantage of a power play opportunity when the Jimmies were cited for hooking as Nagurski scored, the Marauders needed just 61 seconds this time for the follow-up goal.
Winning the draw on a faceoff to the left of the goal, Petrie drew the puck back to
Johnny Witzke at the point. The All-American whistled a shot at the net that was redirected into the goal by Huber for his second goal of the night. The goal forced Weare out of the game and sent UMary into intermission with a 4-0 advantage.
Garrett Freeman added a fifth goal for the Marauders at 5:54 of the third to seal the game. Jamestown finally solved Hayden with just under six minutes of the game but were unable to close the gap any further.
Hayden, the reigning ACHA M2 Player of the Year, stopped 54 of the 55 shots he faced in the game to earn the win. The save total was a season-high for Hayden. The two Jimmies goalies combined for 25 saves.
The Jimmies held a large edge in shots but seldom had good scoring opportunities as the Marauders defense limited shots close to the net and Hayden did a magnificent job controlling rebounds. Jamestown held a 16-7 advantage in shots in the first period, a 25-12 edge in the second and 14-11 in the third for a 55-30 advantage in shots for the game.
The Marauders next play a second straight game against a nationally-ranked ACHA M1 opponent when UMary visits #1 Minot State University on Saturday, January 21. The Beavers defeated the Marauders 3-1 in Minot, ND, before UMary returned home the next day and beat Minot State 3-2.
M1 University of Jamestown 1 at M2 University of Mary 5 - Status: Final
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - Starion Sports Complex (ND)
M1 University of Jamestown 0 0 1 - 1
M2 University of Mary 2 2 1 - 5
1st Period-1, M2 University of Mary, Flicek 9 (Petrie), 11:44. 2, M2 University of Mary, Huber 7 (Massie, Dropik), 12:54. Penalties-Huber Umary (cross checking), 13:29.
2nd Period-3, M2 University of Mary, Nagurski 3 (Thomas), 16:15. 4, M2 University of Mary, Huber 8 (Witzke, Petrie), 17:16 (PP). Penalties-Kromm M1uj (roughing), 7:35; Cornell M1uj (hooking), 16:15.
3rd Period-5, M2 University of Mary, Freeman 9 (Eskro, Witzke), 5:54. 6, M1 University of Jamestown, Popoff 3 (Clark, Huculak), 14:02. Penalties-Thompson M1uj (roughing), 3:20; Zaste Umary (roughing), 3:20; Wilson M1uj (roughing), 9:02; Petrie Umary (roughing), 9:02.
Shots on Goal-M1 University of Jamestown 16-25-14-55. M2 University of Mary 7-12-11-30.
Power Play Opportunities-M1 University of Jamestown 0 / 1; M2 University of Mary 1 / 2.
Goalies-M1 University of Jamestown, Weare 12-3-0-0 (18 shots-14 saves); Trulsen 1-0-0-0 (12 shots-11 saves). M2 University of Mary, Hayden 18-2-0-0 (55 shots-54 saves).
A-367
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