Feb. 15, 2003
OMAHA, Neb. - The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks scored goals on each of their first two shots on net, then held off a Bemidji State rally in the game’s waning moments to hold onto a 3-2 victory tonight at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. The win completed a two-game series sweep for the Mavericks and was Bemidji State’s final non-conference game of the year.

Just as it had done last night, Nebraska-Omaha struck with the game’s first goal in the opening minutes. David Brisson had the puck in traffic to the left of BSU goaltender Dannie Morgan, and fired a shot on net that deflected off of Morgan’s pads. Brisson took the carom and skated behind the net, pausing behind the goal and allowing Andrew Wong to set up at the top of the crease. Brisson passed the puck up to Wong, who beat Morgan high and to the left side to put the Mavericks ahead 1-0 just 1:34 into the game.

It took nearly six minutes for the Mavericks to get their next shot on net, but they made it count as Brisson broke free and slipped a puck past Morgan to stake UNO to a 2-0 advantage at the 7:21 mark of the first.

BSU had several good scoring chances in the first period, but was turned back on each occasion by Maverick netminder Dan Ellis. Ellis stopped a shot from the left edge of the crease by Marty Goulet with a chest save, then stoned Anders Olsson on a one-on-one breakaway opportunity with BSU skating a man down in the 14th minute of the period. Then with 1:59 to play, Riley Riddell broke free on the left side of the ice on a BSU power-play and fired a centering pass into the crease. The puck deflected off of at least two players before finally moving in towards Ellis, who managed to stop the puck with his left leg before kicking it free.

Following exactly the formula from last night’s game, BSU solved Ellis at 18:33 of the first to pull within a goal, 2-1. Taking assists from Brendan Cook and Myles Kuharski, Riddell managed to shoot high into the corner for his sixth goal of the year.

At 15:41 of the first, BSU’s John Haider checked UNO’s Mike Lefley into the boards in the right corner of the BSU defensive zone, knocking free a glass panel. The game was delayed by several minutes as crews put the panel back in place.

The score remained 2-1 in favor of the host Mavericks until the middle stages of the second period, when BSU drew even for the first time in the series. Myles Kuharski picked up his seventh goal of the season off the helpers from Riddell and Bryce Methven to balance the scoreboard at two goals apiece.

The deadlock held until early in the third period. BSU had just finished killing a roughing penalty on Goulet, with Morgan making a save to his left just as the penalty expired. Morgan couldn’t freeze the rebound, and Scotty Turner took the carom and fired a pass to Joe Pereira at the top of the faceoff circles. Pereira unloaded and found the back of the net to stake the Mavericks to a 3-2 lead at the 5:12 mark of the frame.

The Beavers had an opportunity to rally in the game’s final minutes, as the Mavericks drew a penalty with 2:35 to play. BSU had one excellent scoring opportunity, getting a shot from the top of the left circle on Ellis, who failed to control the rebound. Riddell picked up the loose puck a few feet from the top of the crease and fired, but Ellis was able to stop that shot and protect the one-goal lead.

BSU played with an extra attacker during most of the final minute but could not push home the equalizer.
Morgan suffered his first loss of the season in net for BSU, saving 22 shots and falling to 0-1-2. Ellis improved to 12-4-4 with the win for the Mavericks, saving 23 of 25 shots faced.

Nebraska-Omaha improved to 4-0-0 all-time against Bemidji State with the win, while the Beavers fall to 1-7-1 against the Central Collegiate Hockey Association since moving up to Division I.

Bemidji State falls to 8-12-7 overall on the season and remains 6-5-3 in College Hockey America play. Nebraska-Omaha improves its season mark to 13-15-4. Bemidji State has completed non-conference play and will square off with College Hockey America opposition for the final three weeks of its 2002-03 regular season. Next action for BSU comes Feb. 21-22 when it plays host to CHA-leading Alabama-Huntsville. Opening face-off for Game 1 is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. Central time at BSU’s John Glas Fieldhouse.

SCORING SUMMARY
1/ 1:34/N - Andrew Wong (6) (David Brisson/15, David Graham/1) / 0-1
1/ 7:21/N - David Brisson (15) (Greg Zanon/17, Ryan Bennett/1) / 0-2
1/18:33/B - Riley Riddell (6) (Brendan Cook/4, Myles Kuharski/10) / 1-2
2/ 8:16/B - Myles Kuharski (7) (Riley Riddell/6, Bryce Methven/6) / 2-2
3/ 5:12/N - Joe Pereira (7) (Scotty Turner/17, Dan Hacker/12) / 2-3

BSU: Dannie Morgan (59:11 / 5-7-10=22 saves / 3 GA / L, 0-1-2); empty net (0:49 / 0 GA)
UNO: Dan Ellis (60:00 / 6-5-12=23 saves / 2 GA / W, 12-14-4)
Penalties/Power Plays: BSU: 5-10/1-6; UNO: 10-36/0-3
three stars: 1/David Brisson, UNO; 2/Joe Pereira, UNO; 3/Riley Riddell, BSU

POST GAME NOTES
TEAM NOTES
• With Nebraska-Omaha’s goal at 1:34 of the first period tonight and goal at 0:54 of the first period last night, the Mavericks became just the third team in Bemidji State’s Division I era to score a goal against the Beavers in the first two minutes of both games of a two-game series. Previously:
- Alabama-Huntsville on Dec. 3-4, 1999. In that series, the Chargers scored 28 seconds into Game 1 and 2:00 into Game 2.
- Minn. State-Mankato on Oct. 12-13, 2001. In that series, the Mavericks scored 1:39 into Game 1 and 1:16 into Game 2.

• Tonight’s game featured very few shots on net:
- BSU and UNO combined for just 14 shots on goal in the first period (seven apiece), the lowest combined total after one period for the Beavers and their opposition since Dec. 28, 2002. On that date, BSU and North Dakota also combined for just 14 shots (BSU 4, UND 10).
- BSU and UNO combined for just 27 shots on goal in the first two periods (BSU 13, UNO 14), the lowest combined total through two periods for the Beavers and their opposition since Nov. 30, 2001. On that date, BSU and Wayne State combined for just 25 shots (BSU 8-5=13; WSU 3-9=12).
- The teams finished with a combined 50 shots on goal

• BSU was held to two goals or fewer for the 17th time in 27 games this season.

• BSU falls to 4-29-2 all-time (Division I era) when trailing by two goals in the first period and 4-64-3 when trailing by two goals at any point in the game.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Riley Riddell turned in his third multi-point game this season and the 12th of his career.

• Rookie Myles Kuharski turned in his third career multi-point game, and his first on the road.