Box Score OMAHA, Neb. –
Ryan Massa made a career-high 47 saves, and
Austin Ortega delivered his fifth game-winning goal of the year as the No. 12 Omaha hockey team outlasted St. Cloud State, 3-2, on Friday at the CenturyLink Center.
Ian Brady factored in to all three Maverick goals, picking up a goal and two assists, to help Omaha improve to 9-4-2 overall and 5-3-1-1 in the NCHC, moving it into third place. St. Cloud State slid to 6-8-1 overall and 2-4-1-0 in the conference, putting it seventh.
With the score tied at two early in the third period, the game turned when St. Cloud State's leading scorer, Jonny Brodzinski, was given a contact to the head penalty and a game misconduct.
On the ensuing five-minute power play,
Jake Guentzel threaded a pass through a maze of SCSU defenders to find Ortega who steered the puck past goalie Charlie Lindgren for his team-leading eighth goal of the year. Ortega ranks second in the NCAA in game-winning goals.
The Mavericks hung on through a late power play for the Huskies who had already scored once with a man advantage in the game.
It was a good finish to a game that didn't start well for the Mavericks who were outshot 21-7 in the first period. Still, they got on the board first when Guentzel curled behind the net and passed to Brady who one-timed a shot past Lindgren at 15:03. The powerplay goal was his third goal of the season.
St. Cloud State wasted no time tying the game. Just 20 seconds later, Joe Rehkamp got to a loose puck and whipped it to the slot where Blake Winiecki pushed it past Massa.
On a power play later in the period, the Huskies got their first lead of the game. Joey Benik set up Brodzinski for a one-timer that went in under the crossbar for his team-leading ninth goal of the year and NCHC-leading sixth powerplay tally.
The Mavericks tied the game in the second period. Brady carried the puck down the right wing and then dropped the puck off to
Justin Parizek who wired a shot inside the far post at 15:03.
Jake Randolph also picked up an assist to give him 13 points this season, third best among NCHC freshmen.
Massa's 47-save effort ties him with Chris Holt and Jerad Kaufmann for third in school history for saves in a game. The Mavericks were outshot 49-23.
Dean Blais earned his 100th win as UNO's head coach (100-90-20) and the 362nd of his storied career.
The Mavericks finished 2-for-3 on the power play, their first game with multiple powerplay goals since earning two in a 4-1 win at Ohio State on Nov. 7, a span of eight games. SCSU was 1-for-4.
The weekend series concludes on Saturday at 8:07 p.m.
