UNO smokes Western Michigan in 'road game'

OMAHA, Neb. — The University of Nebraska Omaha hockey team was wearing its road black uniforms for a game at Baxter Arena. The Mavericks may want to try that again.

UNO scored nine goals in the last two periods, including six in the third, to pound Western Michigan 10-2 on Thursday in an NCHC pod game. The Mavericks got goals from nine players and became the first team since St. Cloud State (11-1, Nov. 14, 2015) to score double digits in goals against Western Michigan.

"A great game by our guys and I thought we played really well against Duluth (on Tuesday, a 5-3 loss) and didn't come up with a victory," said UNO coach MIke Gabinet, whose team is 1-1. "It was nice to the guys stick with the process and play the right way."

Jason Smallidge, a junior defenseman from Eagan, Minn., tied single game school records for the Mavericks with four assists and five points in the game. Smallidge had five assists and 10 points in 56 career college games going into the game against the Broncos (0-2).

"I was just trying to move pucks quick, like coach (Gabinet) said in our pregame meeting," said Smallidge, who moved into the conference lead in points with his performance. "I just kept it simple and got into the play when I could."

Western Michigan got within 3-2 when senior right wing Ethen Frank scored at 9:59 on the power play in the second period.

But UNO senior captain Kevin Conley got the puck in the neutral zone, blazed past a defender and scored at 14:02 of the second period to make it 4-2.

The Mavericks scored six goals in the third period to break away.

Besides Smallidge, freshman right wing Matt Miller had two goals and an assist and junior center Chayse Primeau had a goal and two assists as Mavericks with more than two points in the game.

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Brandon Bussi, Western Michigan's starting goalie for 34 of the Broncos' 36 games last season, did not dress. Bussi left Tuesday's season-opening game against St. Cloud State at 8:07 of the second period and did not return. Murray said after that game that Bussi would have an MRI on the injury on Wednesday and he did not put any weight on his left leg as he left the ice against the Huskies.

After the game Thursday, Murray said that Bussi will not play again in the NCHC pod, which runs through Dec. 21.

"He won't be available to us and got a chance to have a look at both goaltenders tonight," Murray said. "With the way it was, I thought it was a good opportunity to get Alex (Aslanidis) in there, get a sense of what Division I college hockey is. He's a young guy and he got some experience tonight.

In his absence, Austin Cain, a senior from Ottawa, Ontario, started and gave up seven goals and made 26 saves before being replaced with 11:30 left in the third period. Aslanidis, a freshman from Morristown, N.J., finished the game and stopped eight of 11 shots he faced.

NEBRASKA OMAHA 10, WESTERN MICHIGAN 2

UNO 1-3-6—10

WMU 1-1-0—2

First period scoring — 1. UNO, Matt Miller 1 (Chayse Primeau 1, Jonny Tyconick 1) 11:14; 2. WMU, Cole Gallant 1 (Josh Passolt 2, Drew Worrad 1) 12:16. Penalties — WMU, Brett Von Os (slashing) 4:31.

Second period — 3. UNO, Jack Randl 2 (Martin Sundberg 2, Jason Smallidge 1) 1:18; 4. UNO, Primeau 1 (Ryan Brushett 1) 6:33; 5. WMU, Ethen Frank 1 (Daniel Hilsendager 1) 9:59 (pp); 6.UNO, Kevin Conley 1 (Jason Smallidge 1, Joey Abate 1) 14:02. Penalties — UNO, Ryan Brushett (hooking) 9:12; UNO, Bench (too many men) 10:49.

Third period — 7. UNO, Abate 1 (Taylor Ward) 4:33; 8. UNO, Nolan Sullivan 1 (Smallidge 2, Nate Knoepke 2) 5:12; 9. UNO, Smallidge 1 (Brushett 2, Miller 1) 8:30; 10. Nate Knoepke 1 (Smallidge 4, Conley 1) 8:55; 11. UNO, Sundberg 2 (Primeau 2) 15:15; 12. UNO, Miller 2 (Nolan Krenzen 1) 18:43. Penalties — UNO, Kirby Proctor (slashing) 1:20; WM, Passolt (roughing) 1:20; WM, Vrett Van Os (roughing) 8:55.

Goalie saves — UNO: Isaiah Saville 4-16-4—24 (2 GA); WMU: Austin Cain 12-10-4—26 (7 GA), Alex Aslanidis (in at 8:30 of 3rd) x-x-8—8 (3 GA).

Penalties-minutes — UNO 3-6; WMU 3-6.

Power plays (shots) — UNO 0-2 (7 shots); WMU — 1-2 (6 shots).

Faceoffs — WMU 34-25.

Referees — Nick Krebsbach and TImm Walsh.

Linesemen — Seth Mukai and Dana Penkivech.

Three stars of the game — 1. Smallidge (UNO); 2. Conley (UNO); 3. Primeau (UNO).