O'FALLON, IL – Scoring the last four goals of the game, #5 University of Mary rallied past McKendree University 5-2. The Marauders scored three power play goals to win the first meeting between the two Midwest College Hockey programs.
The Marauders are 9-3-0-0-1 (W-L-OTL-SOW-SOL) overall and 6-0-0-0-1 in MCH play. The Bearcats are 6-8-0-0-0 overall and 5-4 in MCH action.
UMary finished the game 3-for-4 on the power play. In their last three games the Marauders have scored nine times on 15 opportunities with a man advantage.
Seth Cushing opened the scoring with a power play goal, the only goal of the first period. The Marauders leading scorer posted the first of his two goals in the game when the forward rifled a shot into the top left corner of the net from the left circle.
The Bearcats tallied the first two goals of the second period to claim a 2-1 lead. With time running down, before the second intermission,
Cyril Nagurski evened the contest at 2-2 on a power play goal with 90 seconds on the clock. Taking a pass from Cushing on the end line to the left of the goal, Nagurski skated unimpeded into the crease to knock in his 7
th goal of the year.
The Marauders dominated the third period, scoring three times.
Luke Schleusner, stepping in front of a Bearcats pass in the left circle as McKendree attempted to break out of their defensive zone, skated past one defender and split two others on a dash to the crease with the puck, slipping his shot into the net for a 3-2 lead 2:30 into the final stanza.
Cushing posted his second goal of the game at 13:29 before
Jaren Hugelen sealed the Marauders victory on a power play goal with 21 seconds left in the game.
Cushing finished with two goals and two assists in the game. Nagurski had a goal and an assist.
Isaiah Thomas had two assists.
Conan Hayton finished with 25 saves for the Marauders. UMary held a 37-27 advantage in shots.
The Marauders and the Bearcats wrap up their weekend series at 12:30 pm on Saturday, November 18, in O'Fallon, IL, at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex.
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