Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. – The UNO Mavericks scored three goals in the third period to complete a comeback from a 3-0 deficit to earn a crucial 4-3 win over the St. Cloud State Huskies on Saturday night at Qwest Center Omaha.  #Ryan Walters# notched the game winner as the Mavericks earned the sweep of the weekend series.

The Mavericks improved to 16-10-2 overall and 12-6-2 in the WCHA, putting them in sole possession of fourth place.  The Huskies fell to 11-14-3 overall and 7-11-2 in league play.

Matt White started the third-period surge when the Mavs trailed 3-1.  Rich Purslow sent the puck ahead to White who got a step on the St. Cloud defender and lifted a backhander over the glove of goalie Mike Lee for his 12th goal of the year.

UNO tied the game exactly three minutes later.  Eric Olimb held the puck in at the left point and fired a shot that #Terry Broadhurst# tipped home to make it 3-3.  It was Broadhurst's eighth goal of the year.

The winning goal came 40 seconds later when #Brock Montpetit#'s shot from the left wing ricocheted to Walters who was uncovered at the far post.  He rammed in his ninth goal of the year to send the Qwest Center crowd into a frenzy.

The other story of the game was freshman goaltender Mike Taffe who came in to relieve #John Faulkner# who started the game.  Taffe made 17 saves over the final two periods and did not allow a goal in earning his first collegiate win.

The Huskies started the game the way any road team would like…with an early lead.  They got a five-minute power play at 7:20 of the first period when #Alex Simonson# was penalized for boarding.  Just 48 seconds into the advantage, David Eddy slipped the puck past Faulkner off a scramble in front of the UNO net to make it 1-0.

The Mavs killed the rest of the penalty but just 39 seconds after it expired, Garrett Rowe doubled the Huskies' lead when he knocked in the rebound of a shot by Eddy.

St. Cloud State's lead ballooned to 3-0 on a late face-off in the UNO zone.  Taylor Johnson fired a shot from the right point that hit the skate of teammate Drew LeBlanc and caromed past Faulkner to make it 3-0 after one.

The Mavericks finally got on the board when Olimb picked up a loose puck and fired a shot through traffic that beat goalie Mike Lee.  It was Olimb's second goal of the weekend, drawing UNO to 3-1 after two periods.

UNO finished with a 55-25 shot advantage in the game.  It was the fifth time they've fired more than 50 shots in a game.  Lee made 51 saves in the loss.

The Mavericks finish off their season-high six-game home stand next weekend when they host Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 11 and 12.  Friday will mark UNO's “Sell Out Wisconsin” promotion, its attempt to break the school's all-time attendance record.