MANDAN, ND – An overtime goal by Joe Gronholz with 4.5 seconds remaining on the clock set off a wild celebration on the ice as 14^th ranked University of Mary men's hockey outlasted visiting Iowa State University 4-3. The Marauders claimed the win in a wild contest that featured four lead changes and three ties.  
 
The Marauders improve to 17-7-0-0-0-0 (W-L-OTL-T-SOW-SOL) overall. The Cyclones, who dropped a pair of games at Minot State University on Friday and Saturday, slips to 5-16-2-0-0-0.
 
This was the third meeting of the season between the two Midwest College Hockey members. All three games were played in Mandan, ND, and were all non-conference contests as UMary and ISU are not scheduled to play league games due to alternate year scheduling for teams in the North (UMary) and the South (Iowa State) divisions. The Marauders won all three games. 
 
An incredible first period performance in goal by Iowa State's William Pinney allowed the Cyclones to enter the first intermission with a 1-0 lead. Taking advantage of the first of two Marauders penalties in the opening period, the Cyclones scored a power play goal on a shot by Dylan Hender from the top of the right circle. 
 
The Marauders dominated the rest of the first but could not find the back of the net. UMary unleashed 27 shots on the Cyclones net and Pinney turned them all aside, including a couple spectacular saves. A high percentage of the UMary scoring attempts came from right in front of the net. Additionally the Marauders rang a couple shots off goal posts. Defensively the Marauders held the Cyclones to five shots. 
 
A major penalty for roughing on ISU with 2:10 left in the first period gave the Marauders their first power play of the game. While the man advantage provided UMary a couple great scoring looks Pinney and the Cyclones defenders kept the Marauders out of the net.
 
UMary started the second period with a man advantage for another 2:50 but couldn't take advantage. 
 
Continuing to skate hard and apply pressure, the Marauders finally solved Pinney at 5:52 of the second. Chasing the puck into the corner after a dump in, Alex Senf eventually gained control of the puck along the right boards. Dropping down to the bottom of the right circle, Senf slid a pass through the crease to Crae Dawson parked just outside the left post. Left unattended, Dawson tapped home the puck into the wide open net for his 12^th goal of the season.
 
In the third period and shortly after Caleb Cross turned aside a quality scoring effort for the Cyclones, the Marauders claimed their first lead of the day. After UMary won a faceoff in the Iowa State defensive zone, Dylan Cunningham held the puck in the right circle. The Marauders defenseman spotted Joe Gronholz skating down the slot and hit the UMary forward in front of the crease for a tip-in and a 2-1 Marauders lead at 9:46. The goal was the 13^th of the season for Gronholz. 
 
The UMary advantage lasted just 84 seconds before the Cyclones found the equalizer at 11:10. 
 
The momentum continued in the favor of the Cyclones when the Marauders were whistled for a tripping penalty. The infraction did more to spark the home squad though. After just missing on a 2-on-1 scoring attempt while skating a man down, Lyndon Orr pounced on a loose puck just outside the Marauders blue line. Skating the length of the ice, Orr outraced the Cyclones defenders and rifled home a shot on the breakaway to give UMary a 3-2 lead at 13:11. 
 
Not done, the Cyclones took advantage of another Marauders penalty to pull even with 1:37 left in the game. Playing with two extra skaters due to the power play and having pulled their goalie, Alex Robinson knocked home a loose puck for Iowa State from in front of the net to send the game to overtime. 
 
Both teams, now skating three aside for the five-minute extra session, had opportunities to win the game in the extra session with both Cross and Pinney coming up with key stops. 
 
Looking for the win, Marauders head coach Dan Huntley pulled Cross on a rush to give UMary a 4-on-3 advantage in the closing seconds and the decision paid off. With time nearly expired and Derek Dropik holding the puck to the left of the Cyclones goal, the Marauders captain spotted Gronholz crashing the back side of the net. Sliding the puck through traffic, Gronholz knocked the puck home for the winning goal with 4.5 seconds left in overtime. 
 
The Marauders finished the game with a massive 64-24 edge in shots, including a 7-2 advantage in overtime. Cross finished the game with 21 saves for UMary while Pinney posted 60 for Iowa State. 
 
Senf posted a pair of assists in the game for UMary, joining Gronholz with multiple points in the game for the Marauders. 
 
UMary committed five penalties for 10 minutes. Iowa State was cited three times for nine minutes. The Cyclones converted two of their five power play opportunities into goals while the Marauders failed to score on three opportunities with a man advantage. UMary had the lone shorthanded goal of the game. 
 
The Marauders next head to Chesterfield, MO, for the ACHA MD1 Showcase on January 17-19. UMary opens against tournament host Maryville University at 7:30 pm Friday before taking on West Chester University on Saturday and the University of Central Oklahoma on Sunday.   
 
Iowa State University 3 at #14 University of Mary 4 (OT) - Status: Final OT1
Sunday, January 12, 2025 - Starion Sports Complex (ND)

Iowa State University 1 0 2 0 - 3
#14 University of Mary 0 1 2 1 - 4

1st Period-1, MD1 Iowa State University, Hender 5 (Mulkerrin), 2:29 (PP). Penalties-Tschida M1umy (roughing), 2:12; Kress M1isu (slashing), 4:54; Mangan M1umy (hooking), 15:45; Mahoney M1isu (major-roughing), 17:50.

2nd Period-2, MD1 University of Mary, Dawson 12 (Senf, Loahr), 5:52. Penalties-Dropik M1umy (goalie interference), 16:04.

3rd Period-3, MD1 University of Mary, Gronholz 13 (Cunningham, Massie), 9:46. 4, MD1 Iowa State University, Hender 6 (Eaton), 11:10. 5, MD1 University of Mary, Orr 5   13:11 (SH). 6, MD1 Iowa State University, Robinson 1 (Myers, Ranger), 18:23 (PP). Penalties-Mahoney M1isu (slashing), 2:44; Mangan M1umy (tripping), 12:30; Senf M1umy (high sticking), 17:25.

1st OT Period-7, MD1 University of Mary, Gronholz 14 (Dropik, Senf), 4:56. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-MD1 Iowa State University 5-10-7-2-24. MD1 University of Mary 27-14-16-7-64.
Power Play Opportunities-MD1 Iowa State University 2 / 5; MD1 University of Mary 0 / 3.
Goalies-MD1 Iowa State University, Pinney 5-8-2-0 (64 shots-60 saves). MD1 University of Mary, Cross 8-1-0-0 (24 shots-21 saves).
A-503
 
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