GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota's Nick Jones scored his second goal of the game 53 seconds into overtime to push the Fighting Hawks past the Omaha hockey team, 4-3, on Saturday, eliminating the Mavericks from the NCHC Playoffs.

North Dakota won the best-of-three series, 2-0, and advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minn. on March 16-17.  The Mavericks were pushed down to 18th in the Pairwise rankings following the loss, likely ending their season without a berth in the NCAA playoffs.  The top 16 teams advance.

The Mavericks are 17-17-2 while North Dakota improved to 16-12-10.

On the winning goal, UND's Jordan Kawaguchi fired a shot from the top of the right face-off circle.  Evan Weninger turned it aside with his shoulder, but the puck ricocheted off the end boards.  Jones scooped it up and banked a shot off Weninger's back to end the game.

The Mavericks fell to 0-5 in NCHC playoff series.  Of their 12 quarterfinal games played, five have come in overtime.

North Dakota took the lead at 10:13 on a goal that needed a lengthy video review to confirm.  Matt Kiersted's shot from the point hit the right post, bounced off the back of Weninger and trickled toward the goal line.  Weninger reached back to grab the puck but couldn't get to it before it crossed the goal line.

The Fighting Hawks made it 2-0 when Dixon Bowen got free for a partial breakaway and slid the puck past Weninger's outstretched pad at 14:05.

The Mavericks, who had just four shots on goal in the first period, struck back just 1:23 later.  Teemu Pulkkinen tipped in a shot from Lukas Buchta to make it 2-1 after one.

Omaha tied the game in the second period.  Just as their power play expired, Tyler Vesel got loose to the left of the UND net.  Instead of shooting, he dropped the puck to Pulkkinen who fired a shot to the top corner at 5:25.

Omaha looked to have the lead before the period ended when Luke Nogard's wraparound shot seemed to cross the goal line.  But after another lengthy video review, it was determined that goalie Cam Johnson kept it out.

The Mavericks finally got their first lead of the game at 5:41 of the third period.  Jake Randolph finished off a wild scramble in front of the UND net, firing home the rebound of a shot by Riley Alferd with Johnson down on the ice.

North Dakota sent the game to overtime during a power play midway through the period.  Jones tipped in a shot by Colton Poolman at 10:14.

Three stars:  1. Nick Jones/UND (Two goals, GWG); 2. Teemu Pulkkinen/UNO (Two goals); 3. Dixon Bowen/UND (One goal)