OMAHA, Neb. - (RV) Omaha Hockey outshot No. 8 North Dakota throughout Saturday night, but the Fighting Hawks never trailed in picking up a 4-1 win over the Mavs at Baxter Arena.
Omaha, which held a 35-24 advantage in shots on goal, was within 2-1 before North Dakota scored twice in the final five minutes to secure the victory.
North Dakota completed the weekend road sweep as it improves to 7-3 and 3-1 in the NCHC. Omaha is 4-4 and 2-2 in conference play.
After North Dakota scored three times in the final 10 minutes to pull away to a 7-2 win Friday, the Fighting Hawks jumped to a quick lead Saturday as Anthony Menghini scored less than four minutes into the game. North Dakota never relinquished the lead.
Omaha outshot North Dakota 9-1 in the final 12 minutes of the first period but trailed 1-0 at the intermission. North Dakota goalie Homer Gibson had 14 of his 34 saves in the first period, including one on a breakaway opportunity by
Luke Woodworth.
North Dakota increased the lead to 2-0 when it was converted a 3-on-2 chance with 12:39 left in the second period. Cole Reschny's shot got past goalie
Simon Latkoczy as it trickled over the goal line.
But Omaha made it a one-goal game again as the Mavs used crisp passing on a power-play opportunity for its lone goal of the night.
It was Lajoie's third goal of the season and second on the weekend.
Omaha kept the pressure on with a handful of quality shots on goal in the opening minutes of the third. Both teams would kill off power-play chances in the third before North Dakota added an insurance goal when Jack Kernan scored on a breakaway with 4:49 left. It added an empty-netter less than two minutes later.
Omaha returns to action Friday to open a series at Minnesota-Duluth. Duluth split a series with North Dakota last weekend.
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