OMAHA, Neb.(UND Athletics)-– Host Omaha was able to score two second period goals and two more in the third to take a 4-1 win over second-ranked North Dakota Friday evening at Baxter Arena in National Collegiate Hockey Conference action.
North Dakota (25-5-4, 16-4-3-2 NCHC) suffered its second setback to the Mavericks this season and are still in a race for the No. 1 seed in the upcoming league playoffs with one game remaining. Minnesota Duluth beat St. Cloud State by the same score to sneak within three points with one game left.
Omaha (14-16-5, 8-12-3 NCHC) secures the sixth spot in the league playoffs. North Dakota needs just one point tomorrow, either from a win or tie or a St. Cloud State win or tie over UMD.
Hobey Baker Award hopeful and team-leader in points junior Jordan Kawaguchi was lost to injury in the first period on a hit in the corner.
“Guys have to step up and make plays,” UND head coach Brad Berry said of losing Kawaguchi. “We’re not a one-man team, we have 27 guys on our team that have made plays all year. I know Jordan is a big part of our team, but other guys have to step up at this time. We’ll have to dial it in tomorrow and get after it again tomorrow.”
North Dakota, despite 37 shots on goal, seemed to effort to get any flow offensively. UND’s lone goal came when senior captain Colton Poolman cashed in an opportunity after a faceoff win in the UND zone. His shot from the near wall, deflected off traffic in front and into the back of the net to get the Fighting Hawks back within one at 2-1 in the closing stages of the second period.
But, Omaha answered with a pair of goals in a less-than-three-minute span in the third to build a 4-1 lead.
Adam Scheel took the loss (19-4-2) in net for UND, stopping 21 shots.
The teams will wrap up the regular season Saturday evening at Baxter Arena for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop on MidcoSN2, nchc.tv and the Home of Economy Fighting Hawks Sports Radio Network.
