GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senior Evan Weninger became the Omaha hockey team's career save leader, but No. 19 North Dakota pulled out a 2-1 win on Friday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Weninger passed Dan Ellis for first all-time with his 13 save of the game.  He finished with 38 saves in the game and currently has 3,151 for his career.

The Mavericks are now 9-21-3 overall and 5-16-2-0/1 in the NCHC while UND improved to 17-15-2 overall and 11-11-1-0/0 in the conference.  The Mavericks remain tied with Miami for seventh in the standings.  If the teams remain tied in points and conference wins after tomorrow, the Mavericks would win the tiebreaker based on goal differential in the season series with MU and finish seventh.

Even with the win, the Fighting Hawks got locked into fifth in the standings because of Western Michigan's win over Miami.  They will travel for the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

On the game winning goal, Colton Poolman sent a shot from the high slot toward the net, and Nick Jones tipped it past Weninger at 2:53 of the third.

The Mavericks pulled Weninger late in the game and had several chances to tie the game but could not beat UND goalie Peter Thome who finished with 23 saves.

North Dakota seized the first advantage of the game just 3:45 into the first period.  Gabe Bast took a drop pass from Zach Yon, curled the next and beat Weninger with a wraparound shot.  It was his third goal in three games against the Mavericks this season.

The Fighting Hawks took two penalties late in the first, giving UNO a 5-on-3 man advantage to start the second.  The Mavericks wasted little time taking advantage.  Dean Stewart held the puck in at the blue line and set up Zach Jordan on the left wing.  He ripped a shot past Thome for his eighth goal of the year just 47 seconds into the period.

The series and the regular season concludes tomorrow when the teams meet again at 7:07 p.m.

GAME NOTES:

• Weninger also moved past John Faulkner into second in career minutes played at UNO with 6,330:41.
• Jordan's goal was his first since Jan. 18 against North Dakota, a span of 12 games.
• With an assist on Jordan's goal, Stewart remained tied with three others for fifth in defenseman scoring in the NCHC with 21 points.
• The Mavericks went 1-for-4 on the power play while holding UND without a goal in four chances.

Three Stars:  1. Nick Jones/UND – Game-winning goal; 2. Gabe Bast/UND – One goal; 3. Peter Thome/UND – 23 saves.