DULUTH, Minn. – No. 6/7 Minnesota Duluth scored three unanswered goals to pull away for a 4-1 win over the Omaha hockey team on Saturday night at AMSOIL Arena.
The win gave the Bulldogs a sweep of the four-game season series. The Mavericks are now 12-13-5 overall and 6-9-3-0/0 in the NCHC, putting them in sixth place. UMD improved to 17-9-2 overall and 12-4-2-0/0 in the conference, good for second.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring at 1:54 of the second period when Justin Richards beat
Austin Roden with a shot from the right face off circle.
The Mavericks tied the game shortly thereafter.
Nate Knoepke walked in from the left point and fired a shot that deflected off
Chayse Primeau at 5:10. It was Primeau's second goal of the weekend.
UMD retook the lead on a remarkable sequence at the end of the period. Goaltender Hunter Shepard made a diving save to deny
Nolan Sullivan on a rebound attempt. The Bulldogs flung the puck up ice where Tanner Laderoute collected it and raced in to beat Roden at 19:43.
The Bulldogs extended their lead at 2:52 of the third when Laderoute set up Jade Miller for his first goal of the season.
Cole Koepke added an empty-net goal with 1:08 remaining to see the Bulldogs' second sweep of the Mavericks this season.
The Mavericks will have a week off before returning to action against Colorado College on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, at Baxter Arena.
GAME NOTES:
- Senior defenseman Ryan Jones played in his 100th consecutive game.
- The Mavericks played their second game without captain Dean Stewart who was ill.
- Omaha and UMD both went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Mavericks held the NCHC's top power play unit to a combined 1-for-9 on the weekend.
- Minnesota Duluth is the only team to sweep the Mavericks in a weekend series, doing so twice. They also won a two-game set in Omaha in early December.
Three stars: 1. Hunter Shepard/UMD (31 saves); 2. Tanner Laderoute/UMD (1-1-2); 3. Justin Richards/UMD (One goal)
