From University of Mary Athletics
By Brian Larson
MANDAN, ND – The Midwest College Hockey tournament semifinals are set as Midland University and McKendree University survived the opening round and remain alive in the chase of the Lindsay Cup and a berth in the national tournament.
The University of Mary, the tournament host and the second seed, will face 3rd seed McKendree at 7 pm on Saturday, February 17. Top seed University of Jamestown faces off against #5 Midland at 4 pm. All games are at the Starion Sports Center Schwan Cadillac Rink.
The winners from each game will play in the MCH championship game at 1 pm on Sunday, February 18.
Midland, the 5th seed, shocked #4 seed Illinois State University 8-3. The Warriors rattled off three goals in the first period on seven shots and took a 4-0 lead 29 seconds into the second period. The Redbirds retaliated with a pair of goals to cut the deficit in half before the Warriors tallied two more times. While ISU closed within 6-3 on a shorthanded goal in the second, two more goals by the Warriors in the third guaranteed Midland a spot in the semifinals. Zak Justice and Milan Breczko both had two goals and an assist for the Warriors. Mike Sliwinski had a goal and two assists for ISU.
3rd seeded McKendree scored the last four goals of the game to rally past 6th seed Waldorf University 5-3. The Warriors scored the only goal of the opening period but McKendree tied the game 94 seconds into the second. Waldorf retaliated with a pair of goals to take a 3-1 lead. Hopes for a second upset on the day were soon dashed. After pulling with 3-2 with a second goal in the second, McKendree tallied all three goals in the third, including a pair 27 seconds apart to give McKendree a 4-3 lead.
(Originally published at https://goumary.com/news/2024/2/16/hockey-mch-semifinal-pairings-set-with-marauders-facing-bearcats-and-jimmies-taking-on-warriors.aspx)
