MANDAN, ND – Patiently waiting over three weeks to avenge a loss to Dakota College at Bottineau in the final game of 2022, the University of Mary hockey team opened 2023 with a 4-1 win over the Lumberjacks.
Garrett Freeman scored a pair of goals for the nation's top-ranked team as the Marauders returned to the win column.
After UMary defeated Dakota College 4-2 on December 9, the Lumberjacks rebounded with a 5-3 win over the Marauders on December 10. It was the last game for either team until tonight's contest.
The 2-time defending American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 2 national champion, the Marauders improved to 21-4-1 with the win. The Lumberjacks are 4-12.
Showing no rust despite not playing for 24 days, the Marauders needed just over four minutes to score their first goal of the new year.
After winning the draw in the circle to the right of the Lumberjacks goal,
Alex Flicek picked up the puck and fed it back to
Tucker Kruse. Skating towards the slot, Kruse found
Johnny Witzke in the left circle. Left unattended by the Lumberjacks, Witzke glided towards the bottom of the circle before sniping a shot high in the net for his ninth goal of the year.
The Marauders doubled their lead late in the first. With both teams skating a man short, Freeman stole the puck from a Dakota College defender from behind the net and jammed the puck inside the right post at 16:15.
Dakota College pulled within 2-1 off a backhander by Leighton Holstein on a breakaway at 5:54 of the second period, the Lumberjacks lone goal of the night.
With time running down on the middle stanza, the Marauders regained their 2-goal advantage off a scrum in front of the net. Finding the puck on the doorstep of the Lumberjacks goal with Dakota College netminder Mason Matthew down on the ice,
Caleb Petrie lifted the puck over all the detritus of fallen skaters and into the net at 19:08 to send UMary into the second intermission with a 3-1 lead.
Freeman then sealed the game at 11:36 of the third period as he scored UMary's lone power play goal of the night.
Witzke joined Freeman with a multi-point game, adding an assist to his goal.
All-American
Kyle Hayden earned the win for the Marauders, making 30 saves in the game. Matthew finished with 45 stops for the Lumberjacks.
UMary outshot Dakota College 49-31 and went 1-for-3 on the power play. The Lumberjacks were 0-for-4 on their opportunities with a man advantage.
Next on the docket for the Marauders is a 3-game road trip against two future fellow ACHA M1 and Midwest College Hockey counterparts. After playing at Waldorf University on Friday (7 pm) and Saturday (2 pm), January 6-7, in Albert Lea, MN, UMary visits Midland University on Monday, January 9, at 2 pm in Fremont, NE.
M2 Dakota College-Bottineau 1 at M2 University of Mary 4 - Status: Final
Wednesday, January 4, 2023 - Starion Sports Complex (ND)
M2 Dakota College-Bottineau 0 1 0 - 1
M2 University of Mary 2 1 1 - 4
1st Period-1, M2 University of Mary, Witzke 9 (Kruse, Flicek), 4:16. 2, M2 University of Mary, Freeman 5 (Eskro, Witzke), 16:15. Penalties-Petrie Umary (high sticking), 0:33; Parisien Dcb (slashing), 15:10; Flicek Umary (tripping), 15:59; Massie Umary (interference), 17:02.
2nd Period-3, M2 Dakota College-Bottineau, Holstein 8 (Rybchinski), 5:54. 4, M2 University of Mary, Petrie 5 (Flicek, Nagurski), 19:08. Penalties-Patterson Dcb (cross checking), 9:58; Rybchinski Dcb (roughing), 19:08; Petrie Umary (roughing), 19:08.
3rd Period-5, M2 University of Mary, Freeman 6 (Eskro, Witzke), 11:36 (PP). Penalties-Massie Umary (too many men), 5:09; Nagurski Umary (tripping), 6:24; Siemens Dcb (tripping), 11:36.
Shots on Goal-M2 Dakota College-Bottineau 13-8-10-31. M2 University of Mary 14-20-15-49.
Power Play Opportunities-M2 Dakota College-Bottineau 0 / 4; M2 University of Mary 1 / 3.
Goalies-M2 Dakota College-Bottineau, Matthew 4-8-0-0 (49 shots-45 saves). M2 University of Mary, Hayden 14-2-0-0 (31 shots-30 saves).
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