OMAHA, Neb. – For the second time in three meetings this season, the Omaha hockey team knocked off North Dakota, winning 4-1 on Friday night at Baxter Arena.

The Mavericks got goals from four different players to pick off the Fighting Hawks who came into the game first in the Pairwise rankings and second in the weekly polls.

Omaha scored twice in the third period to pull away for their eighth NCHC win of the year.  The Mavericks are 14-16-5 overall and 8-12-3-0/0 in the conference.  They locked up sixth place in the standings with the win.

North Dakota fell to 25-5-4 overall and 16-4-3-1/1 in the conference.  The Fighting Hawks are three points up on Minnesota Duluth for first place.

The Mavericks led 2-1 entering the third period and picked up a much needed insurance goal at 11:55.  Joey Abate sprung Martin Sundberg on a breakaway.  His shot was stopped by UND goalie Adam Scheel, but Sundberg threw the puck back to the front of the net where Ryan Brushett knocked home his second of the year.

Omaha then iced the game when Zach Jordan got loose on the right wing off the rush and zipped a shot off the post past Scheel at 14:58.

The game had all the feel of a late-season game as the Fighting Hawks were trying to clinch sole possession of the Penrose Cup as regular season champions while the Mavericks were trying to improve their place in the standings ahead of the NCHC Playoffs next week.

After a scoreless first period, the Mavericks broke the tie when Nate Knoepke kept the puck in at the left point and fired a shot that deflected past Scheel for his first goal of the season at 11:53.

Omaha doubled its lead on a similar play.  Kirby Proctor's shot from the left point caromed in off the skate of a UND defender for his first career goal.  It would eventually become the game winner.

North Dakota got on the board at 18:03 of the period when Colton Poolman scored through traffic to make it 2-1.

Austin Roden earned the win for the Mavericks.  He relieved starter Isaiah Saville less than 17 minutes into the first period when Saville was injured in a collision with a UND player in the crease.  Roden stopped 27 of 28 shots to improve to 4-5-1.

Scheel made 21 saves for the Fighting Hawks.

The two teams conclude the regular season on Saturday at 7:07 p.m.

GAME NOTES:

• Proctor became the second Maverick freshman to have his first career goal stand up as the game winner.  Joey Abate turned the trick against Alabama Huntsville on Oct. 12.
• Both of Knoepke's career goals have come against North Dakota.
• Defense partners Proctor and Jason Smallidge finished the night with +3 ratings.
• Jordan broke a nine-game scoreless drought with his goal.
• Omaha was 0-for-4 on the power play while holding UND scoreles in five chances.

Three stars: 1. Austin Roden/Omaha (26 saves); 2. Dean Stewart/Omaha (Two assists); 3. Kirby Proctor/Omaha (Game-winning goal)