Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. – The 12th-ranked UNO Mavericks broke a tie game with three goals in the third period to beat the #6 Denver Pioneers, 5-2, on Friday night to move into second place in the WCHA standings.  Rich Purslow had two goals and an assist to lead the UNO offense.

The Mavericks improve to 20-11-2 overall and 16-7-2 in the WCHA.  They move ahead of Denver by one point in the standings.  UNO has now won 20 games in consecutive seasons for just the second time in school history.  The last time was the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.  UNO was 20-16-6 last season.

The Pioneers dropped to 19-8-5 overall and 15-7-3 in league play.  The two teams finish the weekend on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m.  It will be Senior Night as the Mavericks honor their six graduated seniors.

UNO led 2-1 entering the third period, but Denver tied the game when Drew Shore tipped in a pass from Jason Zucker for his 20th goal of the year.

The Mavericks retook the lead less than 2:30 later when #Andrej Sustr took a feed from Purslow off a face-off win by Matt Ambroz# and fired home his second goal of the season..

UNO stretched its lead to 4-2 during a penalty kill.  Matt White raced down the left wing, cut across the crease and slipped the puck under goaltender Adam Murray for the Mavericks' second shorthanded goal of the game.

Purslow hit an empty net with .7 seconds remaining to ice the game.

The Mavericks opened the scoring less than six minutes into the game.  While killing a penalty to #Terry Broadhurst#, Joey Martin moved up ice two-on-one with Purslow.  Martin redirected a feed from Martin past Murray for a shorthanded goal to put UNO up 1-0 after one.

It was the second time this season UNO has scored two shorthanded goals in a game.  The first time was in a 4-2 loss at North Dakota on Jan. 22.

Denver pushed back in the second, tying it when Luke Salazar one-timed home a pass from Matt Donovan for his 15th goal of the season.

But just 29 seconds later, #Johnnie Searfoss# walked down the right wing and snapped a shot between Murray and the near post to put UNO up by a goal again at the intermission.

#John Faulkner# made 27 saves to earn the win, his 19th of the year, moving him to within two of tying Dan Ellis's school record for wins in a season.  Murray made 27 saves in the loss for Denver.