OMAHA, Neb. -After securing the back-to-back Penrose Cup’s, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks picked up their third straight win over the Mavericks with a 4-2 win Friday night.
The Mavericks continued to struggle in the power play Friday night, allowing three power-play goals for the second consecutive game.
“You’ve got to give their power play credit. They’ve got one of the top power plays in the country and lots of skill in their lineup, and they capitalized,” Maverick head coach Mike Gabinet said.
Fighting Hawk Junior wing Mark Senden scored North Dakota’s first of three power-play goals seven and half minutes into the first period off of an assist from fellow Fighting Hawks Jasper Weatherby and Judd Caulfied.
Despite the Mavericks trailing 1-0 at the end of the first period, the Mavericks capitalized quickly in the second period scoring in the first 27 seconds when Brock Bremer scored his sixth goal of the season, tying the game at one.
Midway through the second period, the Mavericks Nate Knoepke was sent to the penalty box for a two-minute minor for tripping; 20 seconds later, North Dakota defender Jake Sanderson scored the Fighting Hawks second power-play goal of the game. Making the North Dakota lead 2-1 at the end of the third period.
Jack Randl tied the game with just under three minutes left off of assists from Martin Sundberg and Jason Smallidge.
North Dakota capped off their trifecta of power-play goals after Smallidge was called for a two-minute minor penalty for interference. Mavericks Tyler Weiss was later assessed a 10-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Weatherby scored 35 seconds later. “It’s tough,” Randl said. “With little time left and being a tie game, you like to just kind of let the players play it out.”
North Dakota’s Judd Caulfield extended the North Dakota lead to 4-2, scoring an empty-net goal with 11 seconds remaining in the third period.
The Mavericks will finish off the regular season Friday, March 5, when they head to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to battle the Fighting Hawks once again before beginning play in the NCHC playoffs on March 12.