OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha scored goals 1:20 apart in the third period to rally from down two goals for a 4-3 win Saturday evening in NCHC play at Baxter Arena. The Mavs trailed 3-1 early in the second but did not allow another goal and posted the win to split the series. 

"You get a goal on that five-minute major, then you at least have a two-goal lead-- but at least get momentum," UND head coach Brad Berry said. "We didn't get set-up in their zone. Credit to them, they played aggressive, but we've got to get some momentum there if not a goal. Puck luck comes from work and they worked. From the start of the game, they out-worked us in the first five minutes of the game. We got our legs underneath us after that, but I think they got a couple breaks tonight because they put the work in."

It was the home team that got on the board first as Riley Alferd converted a breakaway opportunity at the 14:51 mark. John Schuldt fed a neutral-zone pass ahead to spring Alfred free and he beat Adam Scheel for his fourth goal of the season to put Omaha ahead, 1-0.

North Dakota (12-10-1, 6-6-0 NCHC) found its groove late in that first period with a pair of markers in the final 90 seconds. It started when Gabe Bast was on the doorstep with an open net in front of him ad he deposited it for the equalizer. Dixon Bowen fed Jackson Keane for a one-timer and his blast ricocheted to Bast for the golden chance alone in front with Evan Weninger out of position. 

Just under a minute-and-a-half later, Matt Kiersted chipped ahead a Mavericks turnover in the UND defensive zone to Ludvig Hoff, who gained the zone then delivered a beautiful pass to Jordan Kawaguchi. The sophomore then beat Weninger top shelf stick side for his sixth goal of the season with just 1.7 seconds to go in the stanza. 

Early in the second, the goals kept coming with Bast getting his second of the night. Colton Poolman gave the puck to Collin Adams, who redirected it quickly to Bast at the top of the right circle and he snapped it off the crossbar for a two-goal Fighting Hawk advantage. 

Omaha (7-13-2, 3-8-1) got one back five minutes later on Jason Smallidge's first goal of the season. 

On an Omaha power play, Scheel stood tall on a pile-up in front and the Mavericks were assessed a penalty to wipeout the final 15 seconds of their man advantage. The freshman netminder then survived a short-handed breakaway chance to keep the Fighting Hawks in front. 

Late in that period, Smallidge was whistled for a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for contact to the head. UND would start the third with 4:18 of man-advantage. The Fighting Hawks went scoreless, though, on that extended power play and Omaha went to work on the deficit. 

The Mavs tied the score at the 12:02 mark and then took the lead 1:20 later on goals by Lukas Buchta and Taylor Ward, respectively. 

UND had a few chances with the extra attacker and an empty net but Weninger stopped 31 of UND's 34 shots on goal to earn the win. 

North Dakota returns home to host No. 2 St. Cloud State this Friday and Saturday at Ralph Engelstad Arena. 

NOTES
*Saturday was Bast's first two-goal game of his career. 
*Kawaguchi's sixth goal Saturday gave him more than all of last season and upped his team-leading point total to 17.
*UND suffered its first loss (8-1-1) when leading after two periods this season.