OMAHA, NEB. – Taylor Ward batted in the go-ahead goal out of midair, and Jack Randl found the net twice, as Omaha scored three times in the third period to outlast Maine Friday night at Baxter Arena.

The No. 17/15 Mavericks pulled away from the Black Bears, who were playing in Omaha for the first time since 1998, late in a 4-1 win that included the first collegiate goal from freshman Cameron Berg.

Omaha and Maine were deadlocked at 1-1 when Ward knocked an airborne pass from Chayse Primeau past Black Bears goaltender Victor Ostman to put the Mavericks up for good with 11:02 left in the game.

"That's what Taylor Ward does," Omaha coach Mike Gabinet said. "That's one of his skill sets. He's got unbelievable hand-eye coordination. I'd be surprised, but it's not the first time I've seen him do it."

The game-winning goal came on the only successful power play by the Mavericks in seven chances. But they cushioned their lead when Randl buried a pass from Kirby Proctor soon after another one expired.

It was the second assist of the night for Proctor, who also set up Berg's goal that opened the scoring.

"He gave me a perfect pass, right in my wheelhouse, and I just blasted it home," Randl said.

The insurance goal came with 6:12 remaining. The junior added an empty-netter in the final minutes.

In between the Ward and Randl goals, Omaha netminder Isaiah Saville made an acrobatic save to protect a 2-1 lead. The junior recorded 22 saves while also earning a secondary assist on Berg's goal in the second.

Saville cleared the puck to Proctor, who then sent it in front of his team's bench to Berg. The freshman, a 2021 New York Islanders draft pick, broke away from Maine's defenders to beat Ostman with a shot.

"It's pretty exciting," Berg said. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about it anymore. Now, I can just kind of play my game – play hockey – and not worry about it."

Omaha's lead lasted more than nine minutes. Ben Poisson then pulled the Black Bears even at 1-1.

It remained that way until the third-period power-play goal by Ward, his second in as many weeks.

The Mavericks scored on three of their nine shots in the final period and kept Maine scoreless on four power-play opportunities. Gabinet said he liked the way his team finished, earning its way to the win.

"If you play 'hope hockey' – hoping things happen instead of earning your things – you just don't get rewarded with a team like we're playing against," he said. "I thought we really did a good job of getting back to earning it and just staying consistent at it. It was nice to get the win."