From Bismarck Tribune/Anniston Star
By Dave Selvig
Scratch paper does the trick for adding up losses and ties during University of Mary’s five ACHA D2 seasons.
The wins require a calculator.
With the D2 era in the rear view mirror, head coach Dan Huntley was reflective on the program he started from scratch six years ago. After two titles and a 192-33-11 record, the Marauders move up to the D1 level next season proud of the past but excited for the future.
“We could’ve went 5-42 and you wouldn’t be talking to me but maybe twice a year. There wouldn’t be anything to report, but it didn’t work out that way,” said Huntley. “There’s a lot of pride in our program, from our president on down. We’ve worked hard. We tried to give our players a great experience, both on the hockey side and academically as students. That was kind of the foundation of everything and it set us up for success.”
Still, nobody could have predicted a winning percentage of .814 when the first puck dropped in 2018. National championships followed in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Their quest for a three-peat fell a little short, but it did not dampen the spirit of Huntley, who is as accommodating and available after a loss as he is following a win.
“Excitement around our program is probably at an all-time high,” Huntley said. “There’s optimism for the future as we move up. Recruiting, I think, is going well. I think the perspective and appreciation comes when I think of the people that have left our program and how important all of those guys have been.”
The Marauders will make the move up with another talented roster, but without a few of the founding fathers, so to speak
Drew Lenertz, who has played in all 192 of the program’s games on the blue line, all-time leading scorer Alex Flicek and Cyril Nagurski, coming off his best season, will move on after five seasons. Flicek finished his career with 136 goals and 152 assists.
When next season rolls around, Andrew Huber will be the lone player left from the Marauders’ debut season.
Huntley will continue to search for top local talent like Flicek, Huber, Lenertz and Nagurski, but he may have to cast a slightly wider net to compete against top D1 teams which often rely heavily on Canadian imports.
“Can we do it? I don’t know, but we’re going to try. That’s been our goal and mission from the get-go, to provide local kids the opportunity to play,” Huntley said. “That doesn’t mean they have the right to play or will play, but we will look at them first. I think it’ll be a little more regional recruiting. I’ll still be heavily American.”
The Marauders return two of the top players at any ACHA level next season in versatile defenseman Johnny Witzke (18 goals, 30 assists, 48 points) and goalie Kyle Hayden. Both are three-time All-Americans. Leading scorer Isaiah Thomas (20 goals, 35 assists in 38 games), along with fellow Bismarck product Caleb Petrie (14-24–38) and Seth Cushing (20-19–39) also return.
Huntley already has three recruits signed with the intent of bringing in six or seven new players total.
Next year’s schedule is stiff, featuring six games with Minot State, four against Jamestown and multiple games against ACHA D1 Elite 8 teams Central Oklahoma and Illinois State.
“We got a tough go,” Huntley said. “But that’s what we’ve always tried to do. Our kids want to be challenged. I think that’s one of the draws we have. They know if they come here, they’re going to be playing against other really good teams.”
The Marauders went 9-2-2 against ACHA D1 teams this past season, which ended one win shy of another Final Four appearance. St. Thomas, a program Huntley advised through the years, ended the Marauders’ bid for a three-peat with an overtime win in the final pool play game of nationals in Marlborough, Mass.
In typical fashion, Huntley was able to see the forest for the trees despite the difficult defeat at the end of his program’s D2 era.
“I guess I helped them beat us, you know, but that’s great for hockey and we can take a little pride in that. Anything that can be done to make things better, I see that as a positive for everyone,” he said. “Sure, we were disappointed after the last game, but I was just proud of our team. Like I told our guys after the game, we’re still in our infancy. Minot’s in their 33rd year, we’re in our fifth.
“We still have room for growth. We’ve had a lot of things go our way. We need to maintain our humility, but also the passion and drive we’ve shown to get to this point. I’m confident our players will do that and I think the future is really bright.”
(Originally published at https://www.annistonstar.com/sports/national/for-huntley-marauders-acha-d2-era-was-about-more-than-just-championships/article_44fc2688-50ef-5534-adcd-cf02b6f07a4a.html)
