Box Score Box Score

MANKATO, Minn. – The 16th-ranked University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey team fell 4-3 to the No. 17 Minnesota State University Saturday night at the Alltel Center in Mankato, Minn.

Senior goalie #Jerad Kaufmann made 22 saves and sophomore forward Matt Ambroz# scored twice to pace the Mavericks, but it wasn't enough as a late empty-net goal sealed the victory for MSUM.

It took Minnesota State less then ten seconds to build a 2-0 lead midway through the first period, getting goals from Trevor Bruess and Kael Mouillierat at 10:29 and 10:38.

UNO fought its way back to even the game in the second period.  Ambroz slammed home a power-play marker from a scrum in front of the MSU net to cut the lead in half at the 3:47 mark.  #Jeric Agosta# squared the contest with an even-strength score at 10:12.

MSU's Channing Boe's first career goal gave Minnesota State a one-lead 6:50 into the final stanza. UNO pulled Kaufmann in the final minute  to add an extra attacker, but a Geoff Irwin empty-netter pushed the MSU lead to 4-2.

UNO didn't quit.  Down two with less then a minute remaining, the Mavericks clawed to within one on Ambroz's second goal of the night. But that was as close as UNO got, dropping the first game in the home-and-home series with Minnesota State. UNO and MSU will play the second game of their two-game series on Feb. 24 at the Qwest Center Omaha. 

The Mavericks fall to 12-6-3 on the season while MSU evens its record at 9-9-3. UNO returns to conference action next weekend, welcoming Central Collegiate Hockey Association foe Northern Michigan to Omaha on Jan. 9-10. Both games are set for a 7:05 p.m. CST face-off and will be carried live on 1290 KKAR. Friday's contest will also be televised statewide on NET2.
 


First Period
1, MSUM, Trevor Bruess (Mick Berge, Ben Youds), 10:29
2, MSUM, Kael Mouillierat (Justin Jokinen, Geoff Irwin), 10:38
Second Period
3, UNO, Matt Ambroz (Eddie DelGrosso, John Kemp), 3:47, PP
4, UNO, Jeric Agosta (Rich Purslow, Dan Charleston), 10:12
Third Period
5, MSUM, Channing Boe (Rylan Galiardi, Mike Louwerse), 6:50
6, MSUM, Geoff Irwin (unassisted), 19:20, EN
7, UNO, Matt Ambroz (Nick Fanto, Alex Hudson), 19:53, EX


Power Plays: UNO 1-3, MSUM 0-2
Penalties: UNO 3/6, MSUM 4/8
SOG: UNO 3-11-6--20 , MSUM 7-9-10--26
Saves: UNO, Kaufmann 22; MSUM, Zacharias 17
Attendance: 3,483