Derek Dropik in handshake line
Brian Larson

Hockey Brian Larson, Associate Athletic Director - Communications

Postseason opens Friday as #11 Marauders face Cyclones in MCH playoffs

THIS WEEK
Postseason action starts this week for the #11 University of Mary hockey team when the Marauders compete at the Midwest College Hockey playoffs set for February 20-22 at the Albert Lea City Arena in Albert Lea, MN. The #3 seed, UMary opens its pursuit of the Linday Cup and the MCH's automatic berth to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 national tournament against Iowa State University, the #6 seed. The puck drops between the Marauders and the Cyclones at 4 pm on Friday, February 20.
 
The UMary-ISU victor advances to the MCH semifinals on Saturday, February 21, at 6 pm against the winner of the quarterfinal match between #2 University of Jamestown and #7 Midland University.
 
The MCH championship game is set for 1 pm on Sunday, February 22.
 
MIDWEST COLLEGE HOCKEY PLAYOFF INFORMATION
Date: February 20-22, 2026
Location: Albert Lea City Arena, Albert Lea, MN
Host: Waldorf University
Tickets: Sold at the door on a cash-only basis for $10/day for adults or $20/weekend pass
On the line: The Lindsay Cup and the MCH's automatic berth to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 national tournament
 
Friday, February 20 | MCH Playoff Quarterfinals
1 pm #2 University of Jamestown vs. #7 Midland University
4 pm #3 UMary vs. #6 Iowa State University
7 pm #4 Waldorf University vs. #5 McKendree University
 
Saturday, February 21 | MCH Playoff Semifinals
3 pm #1 Minot State University vs. Waldorf/McKendree winner
6 pm UMary/Iowa State winner vs. Jamestown/Midland winner
 
Sunday, February 22 | MCH Championship Game
1 pm Minot State/McKendree/Waldorf bracket winner vs. UMary/Iowa State/Jamestown/Midland bracket winner
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Links to available Marauders webcasts and stats can be found at www.GoUMary.com/coverage.
 
THE RECORDS
UMary is 24-12-0-0-0-1 (W-L-OTL-T-SOW-SOL) overall and 21-12-0-0-0-1 against ACHA MD1 teams. The Marauders finished 6-6-0-0-0-0 for 3rd place with 18 points in Midwest College Hockey. Additionally the Marauders are 13-12-0-0-0-0 when playing nationally ranked teams… Iowa State is 10-16-1-0-1-1 overall and finished tied for 4th in the MCH with 15 points.
 
HISTORY
The Marauders are 10-1-1 all-time against Iowa State University, including six straight wins… UMary won all three meetings last season… the Marauders and the Cyclones have not met in 2025-26… The Marauders defeated the Cyclones 2-0 in the 2021 ACHA MD2 championship game.
 
TWENTY-FOUR
For the 8th straight season the Marauders have reached 24 wins. UMary took to the ice for the first time in the 2018-19 season. The fewest wins in a season for UMary is 24.
 
TIMING
In his first season at UMary, Dain Sardelli has shown impeccable timing, The forward has scored the game-winning goal in seven different games this season, a team-high. He was credited with the game-winner in victories over Lake Region State (9-1), Colorado (4-2), Purdue Northwest (3-1), at Jamestown (3-2) at Midland (4-1), North Carolina State (6-3) and at Colorado (6-0). The only other UMary players with multiple game-winners is Isaac Flatley, Alex Senf, Matt Scribner, Derek Dropik and Hunter Mangan with two each.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
  • Alex Senf is havening a sensational second season at UMary. In the course of 37 games the 2nd year forward leads the Marauders with 21 goals and 39 points (21g 18a).
  • In his first season at UMary Dain Sardelli leads UMary with seven game-winning goals. He is second on the team in goals (18) and third in points (36) and assists (18).
  • The 2024-25 Midwest College Hockey Rookie of the Year and all-conference forward is having another impressive season. Joe Gronholz is second on the team in assists (22) and points (37). He has 15 goals, including three on the power play and three shorthanded. 
  • David Loahr has 14 goals this season to go with 17 assists for 31 points. He scored six goals last year in 36 games, his first season at UMary. He is tied with Gronholz for a team-best three shorthanded goals.
  • Matt Scribner has been an offensive force for the Marauders on the blue line this season. He is 6th on the team in assists (16) and has six goals. His 22 points is second among the Marauders blueliners and is eighth on the team.
  • Amraj Gill, in his first season at UMary, leads the Marauders defensive corps in points with 31. The team leader in assists with 24, Gill has scored seven goals. He leads the team with four power play goals.  
  • Isaac Flatley has also found success in his first season at UMary. The forward owns 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points.
  • Hunter Mangan owns 12 goals and ten assists for 22 points. The second year forward has scored an even strength goal, on the power play and shorthanded, one of six Marauders who has done so.
  • Derek Dropik owns three game-winning goal this season to rank second on the team. The senior forward has five goals and 15 points for 20 points.
 
NET GAINS
Zane Clausen and Caleb Cross, both in their second seasons at UMary, have split time in the net for the Marauders this season. Clausen has played in 14 games and owns a 6-4 record with a 2.68 goals against average and a .913 save percentage with one shutout. Cross is 18-8 with a 2.27 GAA and a .927 save percentage... Cross earned the Marauders first shutout of the season with 34 saves in a 3-0 win at Midland. He also has shutouts at Colorado (28 saves in an 8-0 win) and over Waldorf (19 saves in 4-0 win)… Combined the two UMary netminders have a 2.45 GAA and a 92.1 SV%.
 
MARAUDERS HOLD DOWN #11 IN ACHA MD1 RANKINGS (RELEASED FEBRUARY 11, 2026)
Two American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 regular season rankings remain to determine the national tournament field and the University of Mary holds steady at #11 for a fourth straight week.
 
Since a preseason ranking of #14, the Marauders have remained in the top 14 through all 14 regular season rankings. UMary sat at #14 in the first two regular season polls before spending four straight weeks at #12. After a jumping to #11 for two straight polls, UMary moved to #10 for two polls before falling one rung to #11, where the Marauders have held tight for four straight polls.
 
The October 29 poll was the last coaches' ranking of the season. Computerized rankings started November 5 and continue into February. The computerized rankings determine the 18 squads who will join the six teams earning automatic qualifying bids to form the 24-team ACHA MD1 national championship tournament field and compete for the title in Centene, MO, in March.
 
The Marauders are 9-12 against teams currently ranked in the 14th Top 25 regular season poll this year.
 
2025-2026 ACHA Men's Division I Ranking #14 (Feb. 11, 2026)
Rank School Name M1 Record Previous Trend Conference
1 Minot State 22-1-2 1 ― MCH
2 Ohio 25-5-0 2 ― INDEP
3 Niagara 20-4-0 4 ↑1 INDEP
4 Nevada-Las Vegas 22-4-0 3 ↓1 WCHL
5 Drury 21-2-0 5 ― INDEP
6 Liberty 17-8-1 8 ↑2 INDEP
7 Jamestown 21-9-0 6 ↓1 MCH
8 Maryville 11-10-1 7 ↓1 INDEP
9 Calvin 18-5-2 9 ― GL6
10 Adrian 21-6-2 10 ― GL6
11 Mary 19-12-1 11 ― MCH
12 Utah 12-8-1 12 ― WCHL
13 Grand Canyon 19-7-0 13 ― WCHL
14 Hope 22-7-0 14 ― GL6
15 Missouri State 13-6-5 18 ↑3 WCHL
16 Arizona 12-9-3 17 ↑1 WCHL
17 Purdue Northwest 13-14-1 16 ↓1 GL6
18 Grand Valley State 17-10-2 15 ↓3 GL6
19 West Chester 21-7-0 22 ↑3 ECHA
20 Stony Brook 13-11-3 21 ↑1 ACCHL
21 Indiana Pennsylvania 25-3-4 20 ↓1 CHMA
22 Midland 7-16-5 19 ↓3 MCH
23 Davenport 18-16-5 25 ↑2 GL6
24 Kentucky 20-3-1 24 ― ACCHL
25 Northwood 21-7-2 23 ↓2 GLCHL
 
SHARE THE LOAD
Twenty Marauders have scored goals this season and 16 have at least two goals. Additionally 22 Marauders have an assist.
 
BIG WINS
The Marauders earned the 250th win in program history November 22 in the 5-4 win over West Chester University of Pennsylvania… Following the Marauders 2025-26 home finale, Marauders Head Coach Dan Huntley owns 263 coaching wins at UMary and 359 collegiate coaching wins overall.  
 
NEW
On a veteran team with 21 returning players, five new skaters have taken to the ice this season for the Marauders: defensemen John Lang and Amraj Gill and forwards Dain Sardelli, Isaac Flatley and Levi Flatley. 
 
SPECIALTY UNITS
The Marauders have scored 24 goals on 130 power play opportunities (18.5%)… UMary has allowed opponents to score 25 times on 133 opportunities (81.2 penalty kill %)… UMary has a 10-1 edge in shorthanded goals. David Loahr and Joe Gronholz have both scored three times with the Marauders skating shorthanded and and Hunter Mangan, Isaac Flatley, Joe Gronholz, Dain Sardelli and Matthew Scrbner each have one shorthanded goal. UMary hadn't allowed a shorthanded goal until December 3 in the 23rd game of the season.
 
THE JUG SERIES
Located just 100 miles apart on I-94, the University of Mary and the University of Jamestown compete annually for a travelling trophy called simply "The Jug." The team that wins the yearly series of games claims possession of The Jug, which is a Bridgeman Russell Company Jug. UMary purchased the trophy and had "The Jug" painted and logoed. Each winning team is responsible for placing their institution's name and record in the series on "The Jug" each season.
 
The Jimmies claimed The Jug series in 2025-26, winning 4-of-5 games over the Marauders.
 
The Jug series started in the 2024-25 season with the Jimmies claiming the title after winning 4-of-5 games. 
 
SENIOR DAY
The University of Mary honored eight seniors on Saturday, February 14: Amraj Gill (defenseman / Surrey, British Columbia / Business Finance major), Michael Heitkamp (defenseman / Grand Rapids, MN / Master of Business Administration major), Liam Massie (forward / Claremont, CA / Biology major), Lucas Medeiros (defenseman / Toronto, OT / Biology major; pre-med with biochemistry and Chemistry minors), Dain Sardelli (forward / Hebron, ND / Business Finance major), Jacob Murray (forward / Carmel, IN / Master of Business Administration), Derek Dropik (forward / Alexandria, MN / Business Administration major), Palmer Sinclair (forward / Irma, AB / Business Finance major).
 
DOUBLING DOWN ON FLATLEYS
Levi Flatley, a forward from Virginia, MN, is joining the University of Mary hockey team at midyear. His brother Isaac began playing for the Marauders at the start of the 2025-26 season. Levi comes to UMary after playing for the Minnesota Wilderness of the NA3HL. In 26 games this season for the Wilderness Levi scored 12 goals and dished 18 assists for 30 points to lead the squad in all three categories.
 
SENF EQUALS SCORING MARK
Alex Senf tied the Marauders single game scoring record when he recorded four goals in the Marauders 13-3 win over Dakota College at Bottineau on December 13, 2025. He tallied twice in both the first and third periods. Send also had an assist and finished the game with five points… Tanner Eskro is the only other UMary to score four goals in one game. Establishing the record in an 8-1 UMary win over Lindenwood University on October 22, 2022. 
 
2024-25 REWIND
The Marauders finished last season 23-15-0-0-0-0 overall and 22-15-0-0-0-0 against ACHA MD1 teams… Michael Heitkamp, a two-way defenseman from Grand Rapids, MN, in his second season with the Marauders and fourth overall in ACHA MD1, scored 15 goals and delivered 15 assists for 30 points to earn a spot on the 2024-25 ACHA MD1 All-Athletic 3rd team. Heitkamp is the first UMary player to claim ACHA MD1 All-Athletic Status... Heitkamp was also an All-Midwest College Hockey selection. Forward Joe Gronholz was the MCH Rookie of the Year and a 2nd team All-MCH choice. Defenseman Dylan Cunningham and Gronholz were both named to the MCH All-Rookie team.
 
HISTORY LESSON
UMary, which won back-to-back ACHA Men's Division II national championships in 2020 and 2021, made the move up to MD1 for the 2022-23 season. Head Coach Dan Huntley has directed the incredibly successful UMary program since the Marauders first took to the ice in September 2018. Over the course of seven seasons UMary has fashioned a record of 239-56-9-11-2-1 (W-L-OTL-T-SOW-SOL), posting a winning season with 20 or more wins each year.
 
The Marauders made their second straight MD1 national tournament last spring and went 1-1, defeating the University of Pittsburgh 4-0 in the opening round before falling to #3 Ohio University 3-0. Throughout program history covering six national tournaments, the Marauders are 14-2-1-0-0-0 (W-L-OTL-T-SOW-SOL) in ACHA tournament games and has only two losses in regulation.  
 
#marauders#
 
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Michael Heitkamp

#4 Michael Heitkamp

D
5' 11"
Graduate Student
5
Zane  Clausen

#30 Zane Clausen

G
6' 4"
Sophomore
2
Caleb   Cross

#1 Caleb Cross

G
6' 3"
Junior
3
Dylan Cunningham

#2 Dylan Cunningham

D
5' 11"
Sophomore
2
Derek Dropik

#17 Derek Dropik

F
6' 1"
Graduate Student
6
Joe  Gronholz

#8 Joe Gronholz

F
6' 0"
Sophomore
2
David  Loahr

#19 David Loahr

F
6' 0"
Sophomore
2
Hunter  Mangan

#20 Hunter Mangan

F
6' 3"
Sophomore
4
Liam Massie

#9 Liam Massie

F
6' 4"
Senior
4
Lucas Medeiros

#10 Lucas Medeiros

D
6' 1"
Senior
4
Matt  Scribner

#6 Matt Scribner

D
6' 1"
Sophomore
2
Alex Senf

#7 Alex Senf

F
5' 9"
Sophomore
2

Players Mentioned

Michael Heitkamp

#4 Michael Heitkamp

5' 11"
Graduate Student
5
D
Zane  Clausen

#30 Zane Clausen

6' 4"
Sophomore
2
G
Caleb   Cross

#1 Caleb Cross

6' 3"
Junior
3
G
Dylan Cunningham

#2 Dylan Cunningham

5' 11"
Sophomore
2
D
Derek Dropik

#17 Derek Dropik

6' 1"
Graduate Student
6
F
Joe  Gronholz

#8 Joe Gronholz

6' 0"
Sophomore
2
F
David  Loahr

#19 David Loahr

6' 0"
Sophomore
2
F
Hunter  Mangan

#20 Hunter Mangan

6' 3"
Sophomore
4
F
Liam Massie

#9 Liam Massie

6' 4"
Senior
4
F
Lucas Medeiros

#10 Lucas Medeiros

6' 1"
Senior
4
D
Matt  Scribner

#6 Matt Scribner

6' 1"
Sophomore
2
D
Alex Senf

#7 Alex Senf

5' 9"
Sophomore
2
F