COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the Omaha hockey team, the future is now.  Freshman Isaiah Saville stopped 37 shots, and classmate Joey Abate tipped home a shot late in the third as the Mavericks beat No. 12 Ohio State 2-1 at Value City Arena on Saturday.

Freshman Ryan Brushett assisted on both goals as the Mavericks improved to 3-1-0 this season while the Buckeyes suffered their first loss (2-1-1).

After seeing a 1-0 lead erased in the second period, the Mavericks pushed back, tallying the deciding goal at 12:30 of the third.  Brushett threw a rink-wide feed to Dean Stewart who had to bunt the puck out of the air to control it.  He fired a shot from the right circle that Abate tipped past goalie Tommy Nappier for his second of the year.

Saville was sharp in the closing minutes as the Buckeyes pushed back.  He adjusted quickly to a ricochet from a deflected shot that could have gone in as OSU pulled its goalie in the last minute for an extra attacker.

The Mavericks scored first for the third time in four games.  Teemu Pulkkinen won a faceoff in the Ohio State zone.  Brushett held off a defender and fed Taylor Ward who slammed home his first of the year at 4:08.

The Buckeyes had a good chance to tie the game not long after when Ryan Jones got a major and a game misconduct putting the already shorthanded Mavericks down, 5-on-3.  But UNO killed both penalties and got to the first break with a 1-0 lead.

The Mavericks got into more penalty trouble in the second when Nolan Sullivan got a kneeing major and a game misconduct.  UNO then compounded that with more penalties but survived the penalty kill thanks to strong goaltending from Saville.  His best stop came in the waning seconds on a net-mouth shot by Tanner Laczynski.

The Buckeyes finally tied the game late in the period when Carson Meyer got free for a one-timer at 11:35.

Saville improved to 2-1-0 this season while Nappier made 20 saves in losing his first game (2-1-1).

The Mavericks have next week off before return to the road to face Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

GAME NOTES:

• Both of Abate's goals this season are game winners.  He scored the first goal in UNO's 5-0 win over Alabama Huntsville on Oct. 12.
• The Mavericks were 0-for-4 on the power play while holding OSU 0-for-5 with two major penalties in the mix.
• Stewart has now registered an assist in all four games this season.  He also finished the night with a game-high six blocked shots.

Three Stars:  1. Isaiah Saville/Omaha (37 saves); 2. Ryan Brushett/Omaha (0-2-2); 3. Joey Abate/Omaha (GWG)