Box Score BURLINGTON, Vt. – Austin Ortega scored two goals and Evan Weninger had 29 saves as the No. 3/4 Omaha hockey team beat No. 20 Vermont, 3-1, to complete the series sweep.  

The Mavericks improved to 4-0-0, winning all of their games on the road, to get out to the best start since 2010-11.  Vermont dropped to 1-2-0.

UNO struck first for the fourth time in as many games.  While killing a penalty, Jake Guentzel cleared the puck to center ice.  Justin Parizek scooped it up, raced in and fired a shot past UVM goalie Mike Santaguida at 5:38.

Just 2:11 later, the Mavericks stretched their lead when Tyler Vesel set up Ortega in the slot.  He ripped a shot that squeezed past Santaguida for his team-leading fourth goal of the season.

The Mavericks had several chances to stretch their lead in the second period. The best came on a pair of breakaways by Guentzel, but both were stopped by Santaguida.

In the third, the Mavericks got into penalty trouble, putting Vermont on a 5-on-3 advantage.  Mario Puskarich got UVM to within one when he rifled a shot between Weninger and the right post at 10:59.

But Ortega delivered the dagger in the final minute when Vermont pulled Santaguida for an extra attacker.  Two UVM defenders collided at center ice, and Ortega grabbed the loose puck and scored into the empty net at 19:05.

Guentzel finished the night with two assists, giving him five for the weekend.  Ortega picked up his third game-winning goal of the season and is now just eight from tying the NCAA record for career game winners.

The Mavericks return home for their debut at Baxter Arena on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24 against Air Force.