OMAHA, Neb. - Omaha Hockey won its lone home game in December as the Mavericks downed Manitoba 4-1 Tuesday night in an exhibition at Baxter Arena.
Omaha (7-11) built a 3-0 lead as the Mavericks got last-minute goals in the first two periods from Aidan de la Gorgendiere and Jeremy Loranger.
Playing its first home game since Nov. 22, Omaha took the lead for good in the final minute before the first intermission.
Omaha went on its first power play with 54 seconds left in the period. Thirty-two seconds later, de la Gorgendiere ripped a shot from in front of the blue line that found its way through traffic to the back of the net.
Omaha nearly scored again in the final seconds of the first, and the Mavericks didn't capitalize on a power play and a breakaway early in the second. But they did increase their lead with 11 minutes left in the second.
Tyler Rollwagen delivered a crisp pass to Myles Hillman, who was set up on the side of the net and beat Manitoba (6-10) goalie Braden Holt. It was Hillman's fourth goal this season.
Then with 13 seconds left in the second,
Marcus Nguyen delivered a pass across the ice to Loranger, whose one-timer beat Holt.
Dawson Cowan, who in Omaha's previous game had 36 saves in a 4-1 win at Augustana, was stellar in net again. He made 16 saves in the two periods he played.
Cowan's best stops came late in the first period when he blocked a breakaway and saved the ensuing rebound attempt.
The lone goal for Manitoba (6-10) came with 10 minutes left on a 5-on-3 power play against backup goalie
Will Craig.
Omaha's final goal was an empty-netter by
Jacob Slipec with 2:15 left.
Omaha returns to regular-season action Friday when it plays at No. 17 Cornell on Friday. Sixteen of Omaha's 20 games this season have been against ranked opponents.
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