Box Score OMAHA, Neb. –
Austin Ortega had a four-point game, and
Ryan Massa made 39 saves to help the No. 13 Omaha hockey team upend No. 8 Minnesota Duluth, 4-1, on Saturday night at the CenturyLink Center.
The win gave the Mavericks a split of the weekend series and boosted their record to 7-2-1 overall and 3-1-0-0 in the NCHC, good for a tie with Denver for fourth. The Bulldogs, who had a six-game winning streak snapped, fell to 9-5-0 overall and 5-3-0-0 in the NCHC, good for second.
Ortega had two goals and two assists to match
Jake Guentzel for most points in a game this season. Guentzel and
Tyler Vesel each had a goal and an assist for UNO.
The Bulldogs had a heavy territorial advantage in the first period, at one point outshooting the Mavericks 12-0. They opened the scoring when Kyle Osterberg knocked in his second goal of the season at 4:40.
The Mavericks tied the game on their first shot.
Jake Randolph, stationed behind the UMD net, slipped the puck in front to Vesel who was charging down the slot. He fired the puck under goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo for his second goal of the season.
UNO took its first lead of the night a little more than two minutes later.
Tanner Lane freed the puck from a scrum along the end boards for Vesel who fed Ortega. He cut across the slot and slipped a backhander between the pads of Kaskisuo at 15:55.
The Mavericks stretched their lead late in the second period. Ortega threw a rink-wide pass through the neutral zone to Guentzel. He cut in alone on Kaskisuo and threw a backhander past him for his team-leading fifth goal of the year.
After surrendering three goals to the Bulldogs in the third period of Friday's series opener, the Mavericks survived a push by UMD early in the third and were outshot 13-3 in the period. They iced the game when Ortega took a pass from Guentzel, fought off defenseman Andy Welinski, and fired into an empty net with 47.6 seconds remaining. The goal tied Ortega with Guentzel for the team lead in goals (5).
Massa was in top form in earning his sixth win of the year (6-1-1). He made 39 saves as the Mavericks surrendered a season-high 40 shots and gave up a 40-18 shot advantage. Kaskisuo allowed three goals on 17 shots.
The win was the first for the Mavericks over a top-10 team since beating No. 5 St. Cloud State, 8-6, in February.
There were just three power plays in the game, two of which went to the Bulldogs. The Mavericks finished the weekend having killed all six UMD power plays.
The Mavericks are back on the road next weekend to face North Dakota on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28-29.
