Allan Carr scored two goals and assisted on one as Nebraska-Omaha defeated UMass-Lowell, 5-2, in the first round of the SCI Holiday Shootout at the University of Alabama-Huntsville’s Von Braun Civic Center.
The Mavericks (10-10-1) meet Canisius on Saturday night for the championship while the River Hawks (6-8-2) meet the host team in the consolation game.
The Riverhawks were missing three players, including defenseman Ron Hainsey, currently playing for the USA at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Moscow. Also missing was junior right wing Yorick Treille, out four weeks due to a concussion, and sophomore left wing Mark Concannon, out four weeks with a separated shoulder.
The Mavericks opened the scoring 10 minutes, 37 seconds into the game as Greg Zanon ripped a slapshot from the blue line into the lower left corner of the net past UML goalie Cam McCormick.
Carr gave UNO a 2-0 cushion with six minutes left when he converted a wrist shot out of a scramble to the right of the Lowell net, and then Dave Noel-Bernier scored a shorthanded goal just 1:55 into the second period for a 3-0 margin.
Jerramie Domish trimmed the lead to 3-1 with 8:45 left with a slapshot from the blue line which found its way in the net off the pads of UNO goalie Dan Ellis.
Brad Rooney cut the lead to 3-2 when Kyle Kidney found him with a cross-ice pass which Rooney settled and poked into the far left corner of the net.
Carr scored his second goal with 3:59 left in the game shortly after Darryl Green was whistled for holding. The strike was the sole power play goal of the game.
Jason Cupp added an empty net goal with 59 seconds left.
