Mankato, Minn. --- #10 Nebraska Omaha received timely scoring and good goaltending in earning a 2-0 shut-out victory over #6 Minnesota State in a nonconference men's hockey contest played in Mankato Saturday.
Visiting UNO got on the board first when forward
Jake Randolph took a pass at the MSU blue line to go in all along on
Cole Huggins and made no mistake in getting the breakaway tally at 12:02.
Neither team was able to connect in the second period, although Minnesota State had several good power play chances. At one point sophomore forward
Brad McClure, who had a team-high ten shots on goal in the game, took a feed from
Bryce Gervais as the two Mavericks went in all alone on UNO net minder Evan Weninger, but Weninger was able to get his left pad on McClure's shot.
Randolph took advantage of a turnover in tallying an unassisted breakaway goal at the 3:55 mark of the third in giving UNO a two-goal advantage for the final goal of the game.
Huggins stopped 16 shots in seeing his record drop to 0-2-0 on the season. UNO net
minder Evan Weninger, who stopped all 40 Minnesota State shots in the contest, registered his first collegiate shut out in his first career appearance.
The Mavericks absorbed their first home sweep by an opponent since the 2012-13 season when Wisconsin handed Minnesota State a pair of home overtime losses in Mankato (4-3 and 2-1). The last time Minnesota State was shut-out at home was March 4, 2011 vs. Alaska Anchorage.
Minnesota State continues nonconference action next weekend with a pair of games at St. Cloud State.
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