Michigan
23-8-1, 17-6-1
Nebraska-Omaha
13-17-4, 9-15-2
Nystrom Saves the Day as Wolverines Sweep Mavericks
2/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Civic Auditorium)
Score: #10 Michigan 5, Nebraska-Omaha 3
Records: U-M (23-8-1, 17-6-1 CCHA), UNO (13-17-4, 9-15-2 CCHA)
Attendance: 8,314
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 28 -- vs. Michigan State (Yost Ice Arena), 7:35 p.m.
OMAHA, Neb. -- After the Wolverines had surrendered a 3-1 lead in the third period, sophomore forward Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y.) halted a furious comeback attempt by host Nebraska-Omaha, scoring the game-winning goal with 4:44 remaining in regulation to give the visiting University of Michigan ice hockey team a 5-3 victory and its first road series sweep of the season.
The win, coupled with an Ohio State loss to Alaska Fairbanks, solidified Michigan's hold on second place and moved U-M to within two points of league-leading Ferris State with four league games remaining.
Nystrom, who has three game-winning goals in six games against UNO, beat Mavericks All-America defenseman Greg Zanon one-on-one for the victory, taking Zanon to the outside before moving inside and beating Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Dan Ellis with a shot through his five-hole.
The victory also gave head coach Red Berenson his 499th career victory and puts the U-M ice boss in position to achieve his 500th win next weekend against archrival Michigan State.
In a much closer game than Friday's (Feb. 21) 6-1 victory for U-M, the Wolverines outshot the Mavericks 31-29, including 13-6 in the second period, where Michigan dominated. UNO recorded 13 shots in the final 20 minutes, including two that found the back of the net during its frenzy to come back from a two-goal deficit.
After being held to a single marker in Friday's game, Nebraska-Omaha took a 1-0 lead 10:56 into the game on a power-play goal by Scotty Turner. Michigan responded, as sophomore forward David Moss (Livonia, Mich.) scored the first of two goals on the night at 13:33 to send the teams into the first intermission tied at one goal apiece.
The second period was all Wolverines as U-M scored twice in less than two minutes to make the score 3-1 and take a two-goal lead into the final stanza. Freshman forward Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) gave Michigan its first lead of the game with a marker at 13:22, then Moss scored on the power play for his second of the night at 15:17.
The final 20 minutes displayed a playoff-like atmosphere as the Mavericks charged back into the game, scoring twice to tie the game at 3-3, with Micah Sanford lighting the lamp at 6:59 and Joe Pereira tying the contest at 11:25. That set the stage for Nystrom's game-winner, which was scored less than four minutes later. Freshman forward Jeff Tambellini (Port Moody, B.C.) sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with less than one second remaining.
Freshman netminder Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) made 26 saves in the win, including 11 in the final period, while UNO's Ellis stopped 26 shots.
The Wolverines will return home next weekend to face archrival Michigan State in a two-game CCHA series and a rematch from last weekend's home-and-home series split. Michigan will host the Spartans at 7:35 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 28) in the regular-season home finale for U-M, while the series will conclude at 7:35 p.m. on Saturday (March 1) at Joe Louis Arena in downtown Detroit.
Contact: Paul Thomas (734) 763-4423
