The DCB Lumberjacks Hockey team ended a 10-game losing streak this weekend when they split a pair of games with top ranked University of Mary. In Fridays contest the Jacks fell 4-2 and got the win Saturday afternoon by a score of 5-3.

4-2 loss

The Marauders got the scoring going early finding the back of the net just four minutes into the game. That would be the lone goal of the period however Mary out shot DCB 18-6 in the period. Under a minute into the second period the Marauders extended their lead to 2-0. Just past the halfway point of the period the Jacks cut the deficit in half with a Tyson Pringle powerplay goal with assists coming from Ryan Patterson and Leighton Holstein. After two periods Mary held a 33-10 shots on goal advantage. Mary pushed their lead back to two with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game. Twenty seconds later the Jacks thought they had cut the lead back to one but had a goal waved off. Just thirty seconds later the Jacks found the back of the net again, and this one counted as Pringle connected with his second goal of the night and Riley Opperude was credited with the assist. The Marauders tacked on a fourth goal to make it 4-2 and hold on for the victory. Despite the loss the Jacks penalty kill played phenomenal allowing zero Mary goals in six powerplay opportunities. Mary however did get 49 shots off compared to the Jacks 19.

5-3 win

In game two the Marauders got on the board early scoring in the first minute of the contest. There was not another goal to be had in the period however after one period Mary had attempted 22 shots whereas the Jacks had only attempted nine. Things picked up in the second period when what can only be described as an incredible individual effort Fabian Vik beat the defense for an unassisted goal to tie the game at 1-1. The Jacks took their first lead of the weekend when Kolby Adair netted his first goal of the season with assists coming from Leighton Holstein and Logan Mantell. Just moments later however Mary would answer with a goal of their own and tie the game back up a 2-2. As the game went into it's final 20 minutes of regulation the Marauders held a 41-19 shots on goal advantage. DCB would retake the lead when Ryan Patterson found the back of the net on a powerplay opportunity. The Jacks stretched their lead to 4-2 with just over nine minutes to play when Holstein lit the lamp off an assist from Riley Opperude. Less then thirty seconds later Mary was able to cut the DCB lead back to one a 4-3. With less then three minutes remaining Vik scored for the second time in the contest to give the Jacks the 5-3 victory. Mason Matthew was the winning goalie getting 59 saves in the contest, and for the second consecutive game the Jacks penalty kill held Mary scoreless in four attempts.

Here is what Coach Rybchinski had to say after this weekend's games, "we played hard all weekend, and it was a good way to finish the semester after the losing streak. We finally played 60 minutes and bought in to what we are trying to do. Our penalty kill was on this weekend, and we paid the price and got in shooting lanes and blocked shots, if we were not there our goalies were. I hope this can carry over to next semester."

With the split the Jacks who sit 13^th in the ACHA West Region rankings move to 4-11-0-2. DCB will be off over the holiday break and return to action January 4^th for a rematch with the Marauders in Bismarck.