MANDAN, ND – Exploding for four goals in a high-octane second period, #11 University of Mary men's hockey wrapped up a weekend sweep of #18 Midland University with a 5-3 home victory. Combined with a 3-1 win on Friday, the Marauders gobbled up six Midwest College Hockey standing points to move into second place in the league.
 
UMary improves to 22-10-0-0-0-1 (W-L-OTL-T-SOW-SOL) overall, 19-10-0-0-0-1 against ACHA MD1 teams and 6-5-0-0-0-0 in MCH play (2^nd with 18 points). Additionally the Marauders are 13-8-0-0-0-0 when playing nationally ranked teams. Midland is 7-19-4-0-1-0 overall and owns 11 MCH points in ten games (7^th of 7 teams).
 
The Marauders have a 1-point edge over #7 University of Jamestown in the MCH standings. However UMary has just one league game remaining against #1 Minot State University while the Jimmies have two MCH games left to play, both against Waldorf University.
 
The Warriors scored the only goal of a defensive-minded first period when Ethan Brown scored unassisted at the 11:21 mark. UMary attempted just ten shots while Midland took only seven.
 
Game flow changed a full 180 degrees in the second period as the two teams combined for 27 shots and six goals.
 
Dain Sardelli, who made the move to the first line this weekend, tied the game at 5:23 of the second period with helpers from new linemates Joe Gronholz and Alex Senf.
 
Less than five minutes later, UMary's new line combination struck again to give the Marauders their first lead of the night at 2-1. This time it was Gronholz finding the net with Senf and Sardelli providing the assists.
 
Will Falconer joined in the scoring at 12:35 to push the UMary advantage to 3-1 but the Warriors closed the gap with a goal 43 seconds later.
 
Taking advantage of a hooking call on Midland, Hunter Mangan scored a power play goal on a scramble in front of the net at 16:56. It was his 11^th goal of the season and proved to be the game-winner as Midland scored a power play goal of its own at 18:44 as the Warriors closed the gap to 4-3 entering the second intermission.
 
In the third period the game reverted back to its defensive sensibilities of the first period. However this time it was the Marauders scoring the lone goal as Matt Scribner tallied for UMary just 2:37 into the final stanza to provide some insurance for the home team.
 
UMary outshot Midland 38-23 in the game. Caleb Cross finished with 20 saves for the Marauders. Elijah Marchese had 33 saves for the Warriors.
 
Falconer joined Sardelli and Gronholz with a goal and an assist in the game. Senf finished with two assists.
 
UMary next has a midweek away-and home series against #1 Minot State University. On Tuesday, February 3, the Beavers host the Marauders in a 7 pm game in Minot, ND. The two Highway 83 rivals then face off in Mandan, ND, in a 7 pm game on Wednesday, February 4.
 
MD1 Midland University 3 at MD1 University of Mary 5 - Status: Final
Saturday, January 31, 2026 - Starion Sports Complex (ND)
 
MD1 Midland University 1 2 0 - 3
MD1 University of Mary 0 4 1 - 5
 
1st Period-1, MD1 Midland University, Brown 8   11:21. Penalties-Odoherty M1mid (slashing), 7:21.
 
2nd Period-2, MD1 University of Mary, Sardelli 18 (Gronholz, Senf), 5:23. 3, MD1 University of Mary, Gronholz 13 (Senf, Sardelli), 9:56. 4, MD1 University of Mary, Falconer 5 (Bradshaw, Medeiros), 12:35. 5, MD1 Midland University, Dilworth 1   13:18. 6, MD1 University of Mary, Mangan 11 (Falconer, Gill), 16:56 (PP). 7, MD1 Midland University, Grafelman 13   18:44 (PP). Penalties-Olson M1mid (tripping), 0:30; Mangan M1umy (interference), 0:48; Milan M1mid (roughing, major-grab face mask w/game misconduct), 9:56; Sardelli M1umy (roughing, major-grab face mask w/game misconduct), 9:56; Babb M1mid (hooking), 14:57; Falconer M1umy (hooking), 17:36.
 
3rd Period-8, MD1 University of Mary, Scribner 6 (Flatley, Dawson), 2:37. Penalties-No Penalties
 
Shots on Goal-MD1 Midland University 7-10-6-23. MD1 University of Mary 10-17-11-38.
Power Play Opportunities-MD1 Midland University 1 / 2; MD1 University of Mary 1 / 3.
Goalies-MD1 Midland University, Marchese 1-4-2-0 (38 shots-33 saves). MD1 University of Mary, Cross 16-7-0-0 (23 shots-20 saves).
A-318
 
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