MINOT, ND – Sparked by a pair of third period goals by Alex Senf and John Lang, the #11 University of Mary hockey team's hopes for an upset on the road burned bright until #1 Minot State University scored into an empty net to secure a 4-2 win over the Marauders.
 
Facing off back-to-back nights, the two Highway 83 rivals reverse sites and will play in Mandan, ND, on Wednesday, February 4, at the Starion Sports Complex Schwan Cadillac Rink. The puck drops at 7 pm in the final regular season Midwest College Hockey game for both teams this year.  
 
Tuesday's contest was not an MCH game.
 
UMary falls to 22-11-0-0-0-1 (W-L-OTL-T-SOW-SOL) overall and 19-11-0-0-0-1 against ACHA MD1 teams. UMary is also 6-5-0-0-0-0 in MCH play (2^nd with 18 points) and 13-9-0-0-0-0 when playing nationally ranked teams. Minot State is 24-1-1-0-0-1 overall and owns 27 MCH points in 11 games (1^st of 7 teams).
 
The Beavers slowly pulled away from the Marauders on the way to building a three-goal lead, scoring single goals in each of the three periods. Colby Joseph opened the scoring at 8:16 of a first period that featured nine total shots.
 
The offensive intensity was dialed up several notches in the next frame. Looking to tie the game, the Marauders just missed the net on a pair of shots early in the second. The near misses proved costly when Logan Cyca tallied moments later at 4:12 for a 2-0 MSU lead.
 
A UMary penalty in the final minute of the second period caught up to the Marauders just 24 seconds into the third when Minot State's Jay Buchholz scored on the power play to build the Beavers advantage to three goals.
 
Less than three minutes later the Marauders took advantage of a Beavers mistake to close the gap to 3-1.
 
On UMary's third power play opportunity of the night, Senf took a cross-ice pass from Matt Scribner. Needing a moment to gain control of the puck near the dot in the left circle, Senf fired a shot just inside the far post at the 3:22 mark. It was the team-leading 19^th goal of the season for Senf.
 
With time fast running out, coincidental penalties were called on both teams at 14:32. Skating four aside, UMary's John Lang took a pass from Levi Flatley and split a pair of Minot State defensemen. Alone with Beavers goaltender Will Dyke, Lang slipped a low-angle backhanded shot from the bottom of the right circle past Dyke and into the net at to close the gap to 3-2. The goal was the first of Lang's UMary career.
 
Attempts to get another goal past Dyke eluded the Marauders before the Beavers sealed the win with an empty net goal by Joseph with 49 seconds to play.
 
Zane Clausen had a big night in net for the Marauders, turning aside 29 of the 32 shots he faced with several stellar stops in the mix. Dyke finished with 20 saves.
 
UMary finished 1-for-3 on the power play. Minot State was 1-for-4.
 
MD1 University of Mary 2 at MD1 Minot State University 4 - Status: Final
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 - Maysa Arena (ND)
 
MD1 University of Mary 0 0 2 - 2
MD1 Minot State University 1 1 2 - 4
 
1st Period-1, MD1 Minot State University, Joseph 17   8:16. Penalties-Flatley M1umy (slashing), 9:24; Williams M1msu (interference), 10:28; Williams M1msu (slashing), 18:21.
 
2nd Period-2, MD1 Minot State University, Cyca 5 (Moffatt, Joseph), 4:12. Penalties-Scribner M1umy (tripping), 12:51; Dawson M1umy (interference), 19:21.
 
3rd Period-3, MD1 Minot State University, Buchholz 12 (Moffatt, Logan Rands), 0:24 (PP). 4, MD1 University of Mary, Senf 19 (Scribner, Flatley), 3:22 (PP). 5, MD1 University of Mary, Lang 1 (Flatley), 16:34. 6, MD1 Minot State University, Joseph 18 (Krywy), 19:11 (EN). Penalties-Kadolph M1msu (hooking), 1:52; Gill M1umy (tripping), 5:31; Medeiros M1umy (tripping), 8:59; Tataryn M1msu (tripping), 8:59; Gill M1umy (slashing), 14:32; Cyca M1msu (slashing), 14:32.
 
Shots on Goal-MD1 University of Mary 4-11-7-22. MD1 Minot State University 5-16-12-33.
Power Play Opportunities-MD1 University of Mary 1 / 3; MD1 Minot State University 1 / 4.
Goalies-MD1 University of Mary, Cross 16-7-0-0 (0 shots-0 saves); Clausen 6-4-0-1 (32 shots-29 saves). MD1 Minot State University, Dyke 15-1-1-1 (22 shots-20 saves).
A-377
 
#marauders#