GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Top-ranked North Dakota had no answer for Omaha's high-powered top line tonight.
In the end, it cost UND its eight-game winning streak and its share of first place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference as the Mavericks, coached by former UND coach Dean Blais, skated off with a 4-3 overtime victory.
The OT winner, capping a 3-on-1 rush, was sniped by Omaha junior wing Austin Ortega, no stranger to late-game heroics. His 17th goal of the year at 2:29 of the 5-minute overtime was his seventh game-winning goal of the season and his nation-best 18th over the last two seasons.
UND was caught up ice with just one defenseman back on Omaha's winning rush. Ortega rocketed his wrist shot off right wing over the catching glove of North Dakota goalie Cam Johnson (19 saves). Johnson hadn't given up more than one goal in a game in his previous eight outings.
UND coach Brad Berry thought the second period, when Omaha scored twice to take a 3-2 lead, led to the downfall of his team. He said the compete level of his team was good overall.
"I thought in the second period, we got away from it a little bit,'' Berry said.
Omaha took a 3-2 lead into the final period when Jake Randolph scored on a wrist shot with eight-tenths of a second left in the period.
"We gave up that goal with second left,'' Berry said. "We could have folded the tent. The way we competed in the third period and went after it, we have to do that for 60 minutes. It's so tough in second half of the year in the NCHC, you have to play a 60-minute game.''
Omaha's top line with Ortega and Randolph on the wings and Jake Guentzel at center certainly did that. Guentzel's 4-point game (goal, 3 assists) highlighted a 9-point game for that line. Randolph posted two assists to go with his one goal and Ortega drew one assist as well.
Freshman goalie Alex Brandenburg, a surprise choice by Blais to make his first college appearance, was solid in getting the win for Omaha, with 26 saves as UND outshot Omaha 29-23 overall.
UND led just once at 1-0 on Rhett Gardner's power-play goal at 5:57 of the first period. UND then had to battle back from single-goal deficits twice to tie it, the last time at 3-all on freshman Brock Boeser's 14th goal of the season on a power play at 13:24 of the third period.
UND had a golden chance to take a 4-3 lead late in the third period when Boeser fed Gardner on 2-on-1 rush. But with an open net staring at Gardner, the puck rolled up on his stick blade, and his shot went off the crossbar and out of play.
"I had the whole net and the puck just rolled up on me,'' Gardner said. "I shot it straight up.''
One of the top plays of the game was turned in by UND junior defenseman Troy Stecher, who carried the puck from deep in his defensive zone after a spin-o-rama move, then lugged it down left wing, around Omaha defenseman Lukas Butcha and cut sharply to the net. As he was falling, he reached back with the stick in his left hand while sliding on his backside to score a 4-on-4 goal at 16:08 of the second period to tie it at 2-2.
But Omaha used Randolph's goal in the final second of the second period and Ortega's crunch-time magic to beat UND (18-3-2). As a result, UND dropped from No. 2 in the Pairwise ratings to No. 5 with Omaha going from ninth to No. 3. The Pairwise rankings mimic the formula used by the NCAA to select its 16-team tournament field in March.
"You've got to give them credit, they capitalized on their opportunities,'' Stecher said. "We gave them three goals, though. Coach Berry came in and talked to us about how unacceptable that game was. We're pissed off, obviously. Facts are facts. We've got a team with a lot of freshmen, but it's time to mature and grow up a bit. We're done with non-conference play. Every game's going to be playoff mentality. Heading into the national tournament, we've got to win games like this.''
Said Berry: "I thought our puck management was a little erratic tonight, especially in the second period. They got a lot of players who can score off the rush, indicative of the overtime goal. We've got to be sharper with our puck management.''
Game notes: Gardner's goal was his first in his last nine games ... Boeser ran his streak to 11 games with at least one point with his goal and assist. He also has scored a goal in six straight games ... Schmaltz is in the midst of a 12-game point streak ... The goals by Gardner and Stecher were subject to video reviews by the referees, but upheld ... UND was 2-5 on the power play, Omaha 0-3 ... UND successfully killed the last 28 opponent power plays ... Guentzel, Stecher and Boeser were named the game's three stars by media voting ... Stecher led UND in shots on goal with 5, followed by Boeser and Tucker Poolman with 4 ... Ortega and Guentzel had 5 shots each to lead the Mavs ... UND had a slight 39-35 edge in faceoffs led by Johnny Simonson (11 of 17) ... Poolman and Chris Wilkie were both minus-3 in the plus/minus ratings for UND while Guentzel and Randolph were both plus-3 for Omaha ... The game drew a sellout of 11,885 at Ralph Engelstad Arena ... Game time is 7:07 for Saturday's rematch.
Virg Foss covered UND hockey for 35 seasons for the Grand Forks Herald before his retirement. He's now in his 11th season of reporting on UND games exclusively for UNDsports.com. He can be reached at virgfoss@yahoo.com.
