MANDAN, ND – The Midwest College Hockey regular season champion will be decided on the final day of the league season in a winner take all game between #9 University of Mary and #6 University of Jamestown. The Marauders were denied the opportunity to claim the MCH crown in front of a raucous home crowd as the Jimmies skated past UMary 5-1.
UMary will play at Jamestown on Saturday, February 10, at 7 pm.
After taking the penultimate game of the MCH regular season, the Jimmies moved ahead of the Marauders in the conference standings. Jamestown has 47 points and UMary owns 46. UMary needs a victory in regulation to win the title. Jamestown can win the MCH with a win or a loss in overtime or in a shootout as the Jimmies now hold the tiebreaker should both teams finish with 48 points. Teams earn three points for a win, two for a win in overtime or in a shootout, and one for losing in overtime or a shootout.
The #9 Marauders are 24-10-0-0-1 (W-L-OTL-SOW-SOL) overall and 15-3-0-0-1 in MCH play for 46 points and second place. The #6 Jimmies are 22-11-0-0 overall and lead the MCH with 47 points on a record of 15-3-1-0-0.
The Jimmies opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first but it was 19 seconds in the second that decided the game. Reid Wilson found the net at 12:36 and Carter Johnson then tallied 19 seconds later to claim a 3-0 lead.
The Marauders cut the deficit to 3-1 when
Luke Schleusner converted on power play opportunity, scoring off an assist by
Isaiah Thomas at 15:15. It was one of two power play opportunities in the game for UMary. The Jimmies had just one opportunity with a man advantage.
Jamestown scored the lone two goals of the third period, the first one at 5:43 before tacking on a final goal with 45 seconds to play.
Kyle Hayden finished the game with 33 saves for the Marauders. Brandon Weare stopped 29 shots for the Jimmies.
However Saturday's game finishes, the Marauders and the Jimmies will hold the top two seeds in the MCH tournament set for Friday-Sunday, February 16-18, in Mandan, ND, at the Starion Sports Complex Schwan Cadillac Rink. The four teams that finish 3-6 in the league standings will play Friday with the winners set to face the Marauders and the Jimmies. The championship game is set for 1 pm Sunday with the tournament winner earning a berth in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 national tournament.
MD1 University of Jamestown 5 at MD1 University of Mary 1 - Status: Final
Friday, February 9, 2024 - Starion Sports Complex (ND)
MD1 University of Jamestown 1 2 2 - 5
MD1 University of Mary 0 1 0 - 1
1st Period-1, MD1 University of Jamestown, Cline 4 (Michalchuk), 15:22. Penalties-No Penalties
2nd Period-2, MD1 University of Jamestown, Wilson 15 (Johnson, Cline), 12:36. 3, MD1 University of Jamestown, Johnson 12 (Berggren), 12:55. 4, MD1 University of Mary, Schleusner 10 (Thomas), 15:15 (PP). Penalties-Fortin M1uj (roughing), 14:14; Dumont M1uj (elbowing), 17:37.
3rd Period-5, MD1 University of Jamestown, Venne 6 (Baranesky), 5:43. 6, MD1 University of Jamestown, Fortin 20 (Susinski, Johnson), 19:15. Penalties-Huber M1umy (slashing), 1:29.
Shots on Goal-MD1 University of Jamestown 10-12-16-38. MD1 University of Mary 11-11-8-30.
Power Play Opportunities-MD1 University of Jamestown 0 / 1; MD1 University of Mary 1 / 2.
Goalies-MD1 University of Jamestown, Weare 21-8-0-0 (30 shots-29 saves). MD1 University of Mary, Hayden 9-7-0-1 (38 shots-33 saves).
A-1,004
#marauders#
