MARLBOROUGH, MA – A balanced attack featuring five goals from five different skaters led the two-time defending national champion University of Mary hockey team to an impressive win on opening day of the 2023 American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 2 national championships. The Marauders scored in each period to skate past Bentley University 5-0 to start pool play.
 
A perfect 11-0 all-time in ACHA M2 tournament games, the Marauders enter the championships as the #1 seed in pool C and improve to 37-6-2-1 (W-L-OTL-T) on the season overall and 28-4-0-1 against fellow ACHA M2 teams. Bentley, the #4 seed in Pool C, drops to 15-4-0-0.
 
UMary next plays the University of Kentucky in game two of three in pool play. The Marauders and the #3 seeded Wildcats tip off at 7 pm on Saturday, March 18, at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, MA. Kentucky dropped its opening game 3-0 to #2 University of St. Thomas.
 
With both teams exchanging scoring opportunities early in the game, it was the Marauders who found the net first.
 
An end to end rush led by Garrett Freeman and finished by Ryan Wolf opened the scoring for UMary. Picking up a loose puck inside the blue line following a faceoff in the UMary zone, Freeman outskated the Bentley squad and attempted a backhand from just outside the crease. Falcons goalkeeper Andrew Hubbard turned away the initial shot by Freeman but Wolf crashed the net and knocked home the puck at 9:14 for the first goal of the game.
 
The Marauders took advantage of a Falcons miscue early in the second period to double the UMary lead to 2-0 on a power play goal by Andrew Huber. An immoveable object parked in the slot on the right side of the net, Huber took a feed from Caleb Petrie from the end line and buried the puck on a one-timer at 4:06.
 
Tanner Eskro, who scored the winning goal in the 2021 championship game for the Marauders, made his presence felt with a goal late in the second. As coincidental minor penalties were coming to a close, Drew Lenertz dropped the puck back to Eskro. Left alone on the perimeter, the UMary center unleashed an uncontested shot from the top of the left circle through traffic and into the net for the Marauders second goal of the period.
 
The Marauders continued to put pressure on the Falcons net in the third. Following a rush by Jake Murray, Braeden Zaste jammed home a loose puck from outside the right post to increase the Marauders lead to 4-0 at 8:19.
 
Another end-to-end rush earned the Marauders their fifth and final goal of the game. Tipping the puck to Alex Flicek in the UMary defensive zone, Isaiah Thomas quickly received the puck back and led a 2-on-1 rush down the ice. With a 2^nd Falcons defender entering the fray, the Marauders leading scorer on the season carried the puck to the bottom of the right circle before slipping a pass to Flicek on the left doorstep for an easy tap-in by UMary's all-time leading scorer at the 13:10 mark.
 
Eleven Marauders contributed a goal or an assist in the game for UMary. Lenertz, who finished with two assists, was the lone Marauder to tally multiple points in the game.
 
All-American Kyle Hayden had another impressive night in goal for the Marauders. The 2022 national player of the year earned his 13^th shutout on the season on 20 saves. Hubbard had 33 saves for the Falcons.
 
In his career, Hayden is undefeated in nine ACHA M2 tournament games for the Marauders. He has posted five shutouts and allowed just five goals.
 
Over the course of 11 ACHA M2 tournament games the Marauders are 11-0 and have outscored the opposition 52-7 while posting five shutouts.
 
#4(C) Bentley University 0 at #1(C) University of Mary 5 - Status: Final
Friday, March 17, 2023 - NESC- Rink 7
 
#4(C) Bentley University 0 0 0 - 0
#1(C) University of Mary 1 2 2 - 5
 
1st Period-1, #1(C) University of Mary, Wolf 1 (Freeman), 9:15. Penalties-No Penalties
 
2nd Period-2, #1(C) University of Mary, Huber 1 (Petrie, Witzke), 4:06 (PP). 3, #1(C) University of Mary, Eskro 1 (Lenertz), 17:39. Penalties-Anderson Ben (high sticking), 3:21; Anderson Ben (cross checking), 7:49; Borella Ben (holding), 15:35; Nagurski Umary (cross checking), 15:35.
 
3rd Period-4, #1(C) University of Mary, Zaste 1 (Murray, Lenertz), 8:19. 5, #1(C) University of Mary, Flicek 1 (Thomas), 13:10. Penalties-No Penalties
 
Shots on Goal-#4(C) Bentley University 5-8-7-20. #1(C) University of Mary 12-15-11-38.
Power Play Opportunities-#4(C) Bentley University 0 / 0; #1(C) University of Mary 1 / 2.
Goalies-#4(C) Bentley University, Hubbard (38 shots-33 saves). #1(C) University of Mary, Hayden (20 shots-20 saves).
 
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