THIS WEEK
The two-time defending national champion and #1 University of Mary hockey team wraps up their 2022-23 regular season schedule with a pair of road games at #18 University of Minnesota Crookston on Thursday and Friday, March 2-3, at the Crookston Sports Center in Crookston, MN. The Marauders and the Golden Eagles face off at 7 pm on Thursday with a 5:30 pm start time on Friday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders last played February 18 on Senior Night. An overtime thriller, the ACHA M2 #1 Marauders dropped a 5-4 decision to ACHA M1 #1 Minot State. It was the 4^th time this season the top-ranked teams in the ACHA's top two tiers had faced off. It will also be the last time both teams will be ranked #1 at the same time as UMary moves up a tier to ACHA M1 next season.
 
POOL PARTY
With the completion of regional tournament last weekend, the composition of the Marauders poll at the ACHA M2 national tournament is now set. UMary will be joined in Pool C by St. Thomas, Kentucky and Bentley… The Marauders and Tommies split a pair of games this season in Mandan, ND, with UMary winning the opener 3-2 before falling 5-0 in game two. It was one of only four losses for UMary this season against ACHA M2 teams. UMary leads the all-time series with UST 8-1… The Marauders have never before faced Kentucky or Bentley in program history.
 
ON TO NATIONALS
To no surprise, the University of Mary earned an automatic berth into the ACHA M2 national tournament as the top-ranked team in the West region in the final rankings of the season released February 14, allowing the Marauders to bypass the regional tournament. The top two teams in all four ACHA regions earn automatic spots in the national tournament. Teams 3-14 in regional polls earn regional tournament bids with the chance to earn a spot in the national tournament.
 
The 2023 ACHMA M2 tournament is slated for March 17-21 in Marlborough, MA.
 
THE RECORD
The Marauders are 34-6-2-1 (W-L-OTL-T) on the season overall and 25-4-0-1 against fellow ACHA M2 teams. UMary is 9-2-2-0 when facing ACHA M1 opposition.
 
WITZKE NAMED ACHA M2 WEST REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The University of Mary's Johnny Witzke is the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 2 West Region Player of the Year, the third straight Marauder to earn the honor. Witzke played a key role in the Marauders holding opponents to only 72 goals in 43 games. Offensively the All-American provided a huge offensive spark from the blue line. Witzke scored a career-high 17 goals and delivered 28 assists for 45 points in 39 games, an average of 1.15 points/game. He is third on the team in both goals and assists and is second in points. The Marauders team captain, Witzke joins Zach Garret (2020-21) and Kyle Hayden (2021-22) in earning West Region Player of the Year honors for UMary.
 
WITZKE, HAYDEN, THOMAS NAMED TO ACHA M2 ALL-WEST REGION TEAM
Kyle Hayden, Johnny Witzke and Isaiah Thomas are 2022-23 ACHA M2 All-West Region team selections. Hayden and Witzke are 1^st team honorees with Thomas earning 2^nd team recognition. This is the third time claiming regional honors for Hayden and Wizke while Thomas recognized for the first time… A two-time All-American and the reigning national player of the year, Hayden has compiled a third straight impressive season for the Marauders. The native of Albertville, MN, has a record of 21-2-1-1 with a school-record 12 shut outs. Hayden allows just 1.17 goals a game and owns a save percentage of 95.9… Witzke, an All-American defenseman from Bismarck, ND, has played a key role in the Marauders holding opponents to only 72 goals in 43 games while providing a huge offensive spark from the blue line. Witzke has scored a career-high 17 goals and delivered 28 assists for 45 points in 39 games. He is third on the team in both goals and assists and is second in points… Thomas spearheads the Marauders offense as a forward on the first line. Playing for his hometown team and in his second season at UMary, he has scored a team-high 20 goals for the Marauders, including five game-winners. Thomas also has 20 assists and leads the squad with 52 points… As all-region 1st team selections, Witzke and Hayden are eligible for All-American accolades.
 
MARAUDERS TOP FINAL ACHA M2 NATIONAL. REGIONAL POLLS OF 2022-23 SEASON
The two-time ACHA M2 defending national champion Marauders retained the top ranking in the nation and West region when the final poll of the 2022-23 season was released February 14. UMary topped both rankings eight out of nine times this season.
 
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 15-4-1. UMary has faced #2 Lindenwood (3-1), #3 Montana State (3-1), #4 Liberty (2-0-1), #6 Saint Thomas (1-1), #13 Utah State (1-0), #18 Minnesota Crookston (1-0), #19 Dakota College (3-1) and #23 Marian (1-0).
 
ACHA M2 NATIONAL RANKINGS (Poll #9 released Feb. 14)
1. University of Mary
2. Lindenwood
3. Montana State University
4. Liberty
5. Florida Gulf Coast
6. Saint Thomas
7. Concordia (WI)
8. Trine
9. Massachusetts
10. Kentucky
11. Denver
12. DePaul
13. Utah State
14. Indiana
15. Weber State
16. Miami (OH)
17. Ohio U.
18. Minnesota Crookston
19. Dakota College
20. Washington
21. Northeastern
22. Michigan State
23. Marian
24. Penn State
25. Iowa
 
ACHA M2 WEST REGION RANKINGS
1. UMary
2. Montana State
3. Denver
4. Utah State
5. Weber State
6. Dakota College
7. Washington
8. Northern Colorado
9. Utah
10. UCLA
11. Grand Canyon
12. Metro State Denver
13. California
14. Arizona State
15. Williston State
16. Loyola Marymount
17. East Texas Baptist
18. Northern Arizona
19. Boise State
20. Texas A&M
 
SHORTY
The Marauders are as potent skating shorthanded this season as their opponents are at full strength. UMary has scored 14 shorthaned goals this year and allowed 14 power play goals.
 
POWER PLAY POWER
The Marauders are connecting on 22% (33-of-152) of their power play opportunities. When skating down a man, UMary has been incredibly impressive, allowing opponents to score just 8% (14-of-173) of the time when they have a man advantage.
 
IRON
Drew Lenertz has played all 234 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… The UMary senior defenseman is just the 6th Marauders skater to hit triple figures. He now has 120 points (18g, 102a) 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 23-3-1-1 record this season with a miniscule 1.17 Goals Against Average and a dominant 95.9% save percentage. He also has 12 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 (12) and Hayton (2) own multiple shutouts.
 
LEADERS
Despite missing seven games, forward Isaiah Thomas leads the Marauders with 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists)… Seth Cushing is tied for the team lead in goals (19) and is 5th in points (36)… Defenseman Johnny Witzke is second in points (17g 28a) with 45 and is 3rd in assists… Thomas and Cushing also lead the team in game-winning goals with five… Close behind in scoring is Alex Flicek (11-33-44), Caleb Petrie (13-24-37), Seth Cushing (19-17-36), Tanner Eskro (14-14-28) and Garrett Freeman (10-17-27).
 
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.
 
14 | The Marauders have posted 14 shutouts in 43 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
National tournament time! The Marauders compete at the 2023 ACHMA M2 tournament March 17-21 in Marlborough, MA.
 
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