Box Score OMAHA, Neb. – Austin Ortega scored his NCAA-leading eighth game-winning goal of the season, pushing the No. 12 Omaha hockey team past Western Michigan 2-1 on Friday night at Baxter Arena.

The Mavericks snapped a four-game home losing streak with the win, improving to 17-9-1 overall and 7-9-1-0/0 in the NCHC.  They are now tied with Miami for fifth place.  Western Michigan fell to 7-17-3 overall and 4-12-1-1/0 in the conference, putting it seventh.

The Mavericks tallied first while playing shorthanded.  With Fredrik Olofsson in the box, Tyler Vesel made a block at the blue line and raced the other way.  He fought off Western Michigan defenseman Corey Schueneman and backhanded home his fourth goal of the season at 6:44.

Special teams played a hand in UNO's second goal of the night.  With the Mavericks on a 4-on-3 power play, Jake Guentzel set up Ortega at the side of the net.  He slammed home his team-leading 19th goal of the season at 13:53 of the second period.

Western Michigan drew to within one when Scott Moldenhauer's slap shot landed just inside the left post at 18:22 of the second.

The Broncos outshot the Mavericks 11-7 in the third period and had a late power play but could not net the tying goal.

Evan Weninger made 28 saves to improve to 12-3-0 while WMU's Lukas Hafner made 23 saves in the loss.

Ortega now has 20 career game-winning goals, putting him just three from tying the NCAA record held by Colorado College's Brett Sterling.

The series concludes on Saturday at 7:07 p.m.