THIS WEEKEND
Followers of the top two tiers of the American Collegiate Hockey Association will be focusing their attention on the Show Me state the next few days as #1 University of Mary plays three games against nationally ranked opponents in Missouri… The Marauders open the weekend on Thursday, February 8, with a meeting against Maryville University at the Maryville University Ice Hockey Center in Chesterfield, MO. Game time against the Saints, ranked #10 in ACHA M1, is 8:15 pm.
 
The Marauders then face off against Lindenwood University, ranked 2^nd in ACHA M2 just behind UMary, in a pair of games on February 11-12 at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, MO. The puck drops at 8 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday,  
 
AT STAKE
The Marauders get a tremendous opportunity to face a nationally-ranked ACHA M1 team in #10 Maryville in preparation for next year's jump into the top tier of ACHA play. The Marauders have played 11 games already this season against ACHA M1 teams – including five total against ranked Minot State and University of Jamestown squads – and are 8-2-0-1 in those contests… The Marauders-Lions contests could be a national tournament preview with both teams leading their regions. UMary decisively swept Lindenwood 4-0 and 8-1 in a pair of home games Oct. 21-22.  
 
THE RECORD
UMary owns an overall record of 32-5-1-1 (W-L-OTL-T). The Marauders are 24-3-0-1 against ACHA M2 teams and 8-2-1 when facing ACHA M1 opposition. Next season the Marauders will move up a division to ACHA M1… Maryville has a record of 17-9… Lindenwood is 25-5 this season.
 
 
 
 
MARAUDERS AGAIN RETAIN TOP SPOT IN ACHA 2 NATIONAL, WEST REGION POLL
With the regular season soon coming to an end and postseason play fast approaching, the University of Mary continues to stand atop the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 2 national and West region rankings. The 2-time defending national champion Marauders have ranked first in six of the seven ratings released during the 2022-23 season.
 
Entering a weekend that features a pair of games against Lindenwood – ranked #2 in ACHA M2 – and ACHA M1 member Maryville University – the Marauders have had an exceptional season against the top squads in the country. In meetings with current ACHA M2 Top 25 teams, the Marauders are 13-2-1. UMary has faced #2 Lindenwood (2-0), #3 Montana State (3-1), #4 Saint Thomas (1-1), #5 Liberty (2-0-1), #11 Utah State (1-0), #19 Minnesota Crookston (1-0) and #21 Minnesota (3-0).
 
The Marauders also top the ACHA M2 West Region poll.
 
ACHA M2 NATIONAL RANKINGS (Poll #7 released Feb. 3)
1. University of Mary
2. Lindenwood
3. Montana State University
4. Saint Thomas
5. Liberty
6. Concordia (WI)
7. Florida Gulf Course
8. Trine
9. Kentucky
10. Massachusetts
11. Utah State
12. Denver
13. Miami (OH)
14. Weber State
15. DePaul
16. Northeastern
17. Washington
18. Indiana
19. Minnesota Crookston
20. Ohio U.
21. Minnesota
22. Penn State
23. Ohio State
24. Iowa
25. Michigan State
 
ACHA M2 WEST REGION RANKINGS
1. UMary
2. Montana State
3. Utah State
4. Denver
5. Weber State
6. Washington
7. Dakota College
8. Utah
9. Northern Colorado
10. Grand Canyon
11. UCLA
12. California
13. Metro State Denver
14. Loyola Marymount
15. Williston State
16 Arizona State
17. East Texas Baptist
18. Northern Arizona
19. Boise State
20. Texas A&M
 
The top two teams in each of the regional rankings earn a spot in the national tournament. Regional tournaments are held to decide the next two teams from each region advancing to nationals.
 
The 2023 ACHMA M2 tournament is slated for March 17-21 in Marlborough, MA.
 
SHORTY
The Marauders are more potent skating shorthanded this season than their opponents are at full strength. UMary has scored 14 shorthaned goals this year and has allowed 12 power play goals.
 
POWER PLAY POWER
The Marauders are connecting on 23% (32-of-138) of their power play opportunities. When skating down a man, UMary has been incredibly impressive, allowing opponents to score just 8% (12-of-159) of the time when they have a man advantage.
 
IRON
Drew Lenertz has played all 230 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.
 
100
Drew Lenertz picked up his 99th and 100th career assists at Jamestown on January 25. The UMary senior defenseman is just the 6th Marauders skater to hit triple figures. He now has 119 points (18g, 101a) in his career.
 
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 21-2-0-1 record this season with a microscopic 0.964 Goals Against Average and a dominant 96.4% save percentage. He also has 11 shutouts, a single season team record… Conan Hayton has proved a tremendous running mate for the Marauders and Hayden in net. Hayton is 11-3-1 this season with two shutouts, a 2.50 goals against average and a 91.6% save percentage.
 
 
SHARING THE LOAD
21 Marauders have scored a goal this season… 15 Marauders own game-winning goals… Kyle Hayden, Conan Hayton and Zach White have seen time in net. Both Hayden (11) and Hayton (2) own multiple shutouts.
 
LEADERS
Despite missing seven games, forward Isaiah Thomas leads the Marauders with 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists)… Seth Cushing is 2^nd in goals (17) and is 5th in points (32)… Defenseman Johnny Witzke is second in points (15g 27a) with 42 and is 3^rd in assists… Thomas leads UMary in game-winning goals with five. Cushing has four and Garrett Freeman is close behind with three…  Close behind in scoring is Alex Flicek (10-30-40), Caleb Petrie (13-23-36), Seth Cushing (17-15-32), Tanner Eskro (13-13-26) and Garrett Freeman (9-15-24).
 
BY THE NUMBERS
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.
 
13 | The Marauders have posted 13 shutouts in just 39 games this year to break the program record set last season.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 final home game of the season is Senior Night on Saturday, February 18, against Minot State.
 
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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