Box Score Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. - The UNO hockey team finished off the regular season with a 2-2 non-conference tie against Minnesota State Mankato of the WCHA on Tuesday night at Qwest Center Omaha.  Tomas Klempa scored in the third period to square the game.  The two teams then played through a seven round shootout in which UNO won, 2-1.

Nebraska-Omaha finishes the regular season at 13-15-8 and 8-13-7-3 in the CCHA.  UNO is winless in its last 14 games (0-9-5).  It now awaits the results of the final weekend of play in the CCHA to see where it will be seeded for the start of the playoffs on March 6.

UNO opened the scoring in the battle of two schools with the same nickname.  Rich Purslow took a pass from Pasko Scarica and rushed the length of the ice, beating Mankato's Mike Zacharias with a wrist shot for his 12th goal of the season.

Minnesota State answered on a powerplay before the period was done.  Adam Mueller converted a feed from Zach Harrison at 18:45 to make it 1-1 after one.

Mankato would take its first lead of the game on another man advantage in the second period.  Geoff Irwin tapped in a pass Ryan Galiardi at 15:50.  UNO trailed 2-1 at the second intermission.

UNO evened the game at 13:51 of the third period.  Klempa scooped up the rebound of a shot by Alex Hudson and fired it past a sprawling Zacharias to force the overtime.

Both Zacharias and UNO's Jeremie Dupont were perfect in the extra frame forcing the shootout which had no bearing on the game because it was a non-conference tilt.

Mankato's Mick Berge scored first in the second round but UNO's Nick Fanto answered in the third to extend the shootout.  With it still tied 1-1 in the seventh round, Dupont stopped Andrew Sackrison.  At the other end, Hudson appeared to be stopped, but Zacharias fell back into the net, carrying the puck with him for the deciding goal.

The tie allowed Minnesota State to win back the "Spirit of the Maverick" trophy that is competed for each year between the two schools.

MSUM..........1-1-0-0--2
UNO.............1-0-1-0--2

First Period
1, UNO, Rich Purslow (Pasko Skarica), 13:30
2, MSUM, Adam Mueller (Zach Harrison, Blake Friesen), 18:45, PP
Second Period
3, MSUM, Geoff Irwin (Rylan Galiardi, Mick Berge), 15:50, PP
Third Period
4, UNO, Tomas Klempa (Alex Hudson, Eddie DelGrosso), 13:51
Overtime
No Scoring

Shootout
1, MSUM, Louwerse, Missed
2, UNO, Platisha, Missed
3, MSUM, Berge, Made
4, UNO, Klempa, Missed
5, MSUM, Galiardi, Missed
6, UNO, Fanto, Made
7, MSUM, Irwin, Missed
8, UNO, Ambroz, Missed
9, MSUM, Davis, Missed
10, UNO, Kemp, Missed
11, MSUM, Wiley, Missed
12, UNO, Purslow, Missed
13, MSUM, Sackrison, Missed
14, UNO, Hudson, Made

Power Plays: UNO 0-4, MSUM 2-5
Penalties: UNO 6/20, MSUM 4/8
SOG: UNO 9-9-15-4--37, MSUM 8-7-5-2--22
Saves: UNO, Dupont 20; MSUM, Zacharias, 35
Attendance: 3,567