Box Score KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Omaha hockey team got goals from five different players to earn a 5-2 win over Western Michigan on Friday night at Lawson Arena.
The Mavericks won their first NCHC game to improve to 2-1-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the conference while the Broncos dipped to 1-2-0 overall and 0-1-0 in the NCHC.
The Mavericks worked a nice tic-tac-toe play to take the early lead.
Jake Randolph brought the puck across the Broncos' blue line and found
Dominic Zombo. He quickly moved the puck to the left wing where
Justin Parizek one-timed a shot past WMU goalie Lukas Hafner for his first of the year.
The Broncos countered off some good offensive pressure, finally getting Michael Rebry open at the top of the faceoff circles. He whipped a shot past
Ryan Massa to tie the game at 10:31.
Tanner Lane put the Mavericks ahead less than three minutes later.
Jono Davis set up
Ian Brady for a shot in the low slot. Hafner made the save, but Lane poked home the rebound for his first of the year.
Late in the first, UNO stretched its lead on the power play.
Brian Cooper wired home a feed from
Austin Ortega with just 23.6 seconds remaining. It was also Cooper's first goal of the season.
Western Michigan trimmed the lead to a goal early in the second period when freshman defenseman Neal Goff beat Massa through a screen for his first collegiate goal.
Late in the period, the Mavericks got a fortunate bounce to retake the two-goal lead. With a four-on-four ending and UNO shorthanded, Lane hit Brady with a pass that he juggled before regaining at the goal line. Brady threw the puck at the net, and it somehow eluded Hafner to make it 4-2.
Western Michigan outshot the Mavericks 14-6 in the third period but could not dent Massa again who stopped 37 shots to improve to 2-0-0 on the season.
Jake Guentzel scored into an empty net to ice the game with 25.9 seconds to go in the third period.
Guentzel, Lane and Brady all finished with a goal and an assist while
Ortega has two assists.
The two teams conclude the weekend on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CT.
