[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G00005qi0oJ0xDF8″ g_name=”20151024-Omaha-AirForce-MBishop” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_bbar=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”500″ height=”375″ bgcolor=”#AAAAAA” bgtrans=”t” btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” trans=”xfade” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_fullscreen=”f” f_constrain=”f” twoup=”f” f_topbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_htmllinks=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”f” f_show_watermark=”f” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” wmds=”llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.f3cRXZ8MCSr6uvun4dhExpPWpUg80BPau5vPOKzOyi3CkBIbHSQ–” ]
OMAHA, Neb. – Saturday’s game against Air Force followed a consistent formula that has led to success for No. 2 Nebraska-Omaha: Jake Guentzel setting up Austin Ortega for a score, the Mavericks jumping out to a 2-0 lead, and freshman goaltender Evan Weninger allowing just one goal.
The Mavericks jumped out to a 4-0 start and held on to defeat Air Force, 4-1, sweeping the Falcons and improving their record to 6-0, their best start in program history.
The Mavericks have never trailed or been tied this season, and they have started every game scoring the first two goals.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team that has scored the first two goals for the first six games,” Omaha coach Dean Blais said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen it. And that’s huge momentum; the first goal is always a huge goal, more so at home than it is on the road.”
UNO got busy quick when Luke Nogard threw a pretty pass back to senior fourth-liner Aaron Pearce, who hammered it home for his second career goal. The score came on Parents’ Night, and followed the opening night of Baxter Arena where Pearce helped carry the Frozen Four banner over to the rafters.
“Nogard had an excellent forecheck fighting off two guys and made an excellent pass,” Pearce said. “To be a part of that and raise that banner and now play in front of these unbelievable fans, a great community, it’s hard to put into words; it’s just really special.”
Jake Randolph finished a rebound from Justin Parizek’s shot near the right wing circle to make it 2-0 10 minutes later.
With less than a minute to play in the period, Jake Guentzel slid past the dot on the left wing and sent it in to Ortega, who directed the puck in the net for the third goal of the game. It was his seventh goal of the season and put the Mavericks up 3-0 to end the first period. The junior has scored in five of the Mavericks’ six games this season.
Air Force made a goalie switch to start the period, bringing in Billy Christopoulos, but Omaha pushed the cushion to four, the largest lead they’ve had in a game all season, when Guentzel backhanded a pass intended for Frederick Olofsson that bobbled off of an Air Force defensemen and went in the net. It registered as a goal for Guentzel, his second of the season.
Air Force coach Frank Serratore had high praises for the Omaha captain.
“Jake Guentzel is the best college hockey player I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Serratore said. “He is a little poor man’s Wayne Gretzky out there. He sees everything. Every place that he puts the puck, everything is with a purpose.”
Air Force spoiled the shutout in the third period when Max Hartner came in on a wrap-around attempt before Evan Okeley swooped in to finish his shot to make 4-1. While the Falcons controlled the momentum the rest of the way, they failed to find the net again.
“They were the better team tonight,” Serratore said. “They found a weakness in our game and they exploited it. They scored all four goals the exact same way. They attacked our net and they funneled pucks at our net and we didn’t do a good job of contesting the passes. We didn’t defend at the net very well and they’ve got some handy, handy guys.”
Omaha matches its best start in program history. Previously, it had only been 5-0 twice in the program’s 18 years of existence. Pearce emphasized the team’s close bond when answering how long the streak can continue.
“It’s a very united room; even with such a large group of freshman there’s already an incredible amount of chemistry that we’ve already built and it shows on the ice,” Pearce said. “We’re going to continue to do the right things from day to day, and hopefully our success will continue.”
Omaha started freshman goaltender Evan Weninger, who has played every Saturday of the three series so far. He’s only allowed two goals combined in those games.
“There’s such a good team playing in front of me and playing a solid game, it’s hard not to enjoy it,” Weninger said. “I’ve never played in front of more than a thousand fans in my life, so skating on the ice yesterday and just being with the team and looking around, seeing 8,000 fans it was pretty amazing and then today knowing I’d be out skating in front of them, it was pretty cool.”
With goaltending being the big question mark for the Mavericks going into the year, Blais said they’re sticking with this system for now that has led to a 6-0 start.
“He’s there, he’s adjusted,” Blais said of Weninger. “Kirk Thompson on Friday night, Weninger on Saturday night, until the bubble bursts.”
Omaha will take on Western Michigan next weekend, which was just swept by Clarkson. Air Force will have a bye week before looking to rebound against Mercyhurst.
