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Nebraska Omaha’s Josh Archibald sets up in front of the Cornell net in the Mavericks’ Oct. 25 game vs. the Big Red.
(MHM Photo/Jordan Doffing)

Some people have a knack for finding their own path to success, steering clear of the norm and defying expectations. Josh Archibald is one of these people.

Although it hasn’t always been by design, it’s hard to argue with the results to this point for the University of Nebraska Omaha forward. The junior who hails from Brainerd, Minnesota via Canada, is likely to find his way to the NHL as well but it’s the route to his ultimate destination which, if history is any indication, will surely be fascinating to watch.

The 5’11”, 176 pound Archibald is on a tear this season for the Mavericks. On Saturday night against North Dakota, he notched his second hat trick in two weeks in UNO’s come-from-behind 6-3 win over UND to vault himself to the top of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s leaderboard with 21 goals. His 32 overall points trail only Miami’s Riley Barber (36) and Austin Czarnik (34) for the season.

The goals were No.’s 48, 49 and 50 of his career behind only Scott Parse (79), David Brisson (65), Jeff Hoggan (61), Brandon Scero (55) and Mick Lawrence (51) for sixth on Nebraska Omaha’s all-time list. Should Archibald return for his senior season, Parse’s team record is well within range.

Archibald had no idea he had reached the 50-goal plateau until he was congratulated by a teammate and he says he doesn’t get caught up in personal milestones.

“I’m more about the team, I’d rather see us go as far as the NCAA tournament and do well there,” Archibald said. “But it’s pretty cool to be included in an elite club like that and I’m pretty honored to be able to be up there with everybody.”

Unfortunately for UNO coach Dean Blais, a first-period ejection for the former North Dakota coach sent him to, of all places, the Zamboni room where he watched Archibald’s natural hat trick on television. Blais, on the other hand, doesn’t need to witness Archibald’s abilities firsthand to appreciate the tools he possesses.

“He can score in tight, he can score on backhands and he can put the puck away at top speed, whatever the goaltender gives him,” Blais said. “He’s got good hands and he’s got good hockey sense.”

Archibald is not the first in his family to be coached by Blais as his father, Jim Archibald, played under Blais (1981-85) when the latter served as an assistant to then North Dakota coach Gino Gasparini. While the elder Archibald is UND’s all-time leader in career penalties (247) and career penalty minutes (540), which remains an NCAA record this day, he too demonstrated a penchant for scoring.

“Jimmy was either taking a penalty or scoring a goal,” Blais recalled of the sixth-year coach at Brainerd High School where he has a .711 winning percentage (96-39-0). “In today’s game you can’t play like that anymore, you’d be in [the penalty box] all night long or they’d kick you out of hockey.”

Archibald says he’s seen plenty of video of his dad from his playing days and is familiar with his tough-guy rep and penalty record.

“But if you look at my dad’s stats, too, I think he had thirty-some goals his senior year, so he was either getting a penalty or scoring goals,” Archibald said. “I think a little bit of both rubbed off on me, you know, I can put the puck in the net when I get chances and also go in the corners and muck and grind if I have to.”

For Archibald, picking up a hat trick in a hostile environment like Grand Forks was satisfying but he said he didn’t view it as a chance rub his dad’s face in the fact he netted three against his alma mater.

“He’s pretty supportive about anything I do and he was happy that we won too,” Achibald revealed about his father who played 16 games over three seasons (1984-87) with the Minnesota North Stars who selected him in the seventh round (No. 139 overall) in the 1981 NHL Draft. “He’s a true UND fan and everything but, when it comes to me, he’s always on my side no matter what.”

Blais says Josh is a lot like his father in his game preparation and the way he plays with his speed.

“Josh is an intense player that is fast like his dad was but Josh is, I think, a little bit faster from a standstill,” Blais said. “When he gets going he can beat you to the outside and make things happen.”

Fellow junior forward Dominic Zombo says his teammate, linemate and roommate possesses what he likes to refer to as “dynamic” speed.

“He can take sort of a nothing play and use his speed to take someone wide and make something happen at the net and that’s a huge threat,” Zombo said. “Teams have to be aware that his speed is a huge factor and helps us out a lot.”

Not only did Josh’s father attend North Dakota, his mother Anne went to UND where she competed as a swimmer. Given that fact, UND would certainly benefit from a subtle, or not so subtle, nudge from mom and dad in recruiting, right?

Not so fast, this is Josh Archibald and his is not the beaten path. But he says his parents never pressured him toward the relatively short drive to Grand Forks and that Nebraska Omaha’s “smaller atmosphere for being such a big school” influenced his decision.

“They were behind me no matter where I went and they were just happy that I got the opportunity to play for a Division I college hockey team,” Archibald said. “I think one of my main things was my dad had such great things to say about coach Blais. I wanted to get the best coaching experience I could possibly get and I think coming to UNO and having Blais as a coach was one of the factors.”

“He’s awful proud of the tradition up at North Dakota and North Dakota was one of the schools, along with Duluth, that he was considering,” Blais said. “He just felt more comfortable, I think, at Omaha; he thought Omaha was maybe a better fit for him at the time.”

Archibald watches his penalty shot elude Cornell goaltender Andy Iles on Oct. 25, 2013.
(MHM Photo/Jordan Doffing)

Archibald is somewhat of a rarity in college hockey in that he made the jump straight from high school to Division I and found himself a boy among men who, like him, were freshmen but had spent a year or two experiencing the rigors of a junior hockey schedule. Zombo enrolled at UNO with Archibald, but as a freshman who had taken the junior hockey rout. He said the difference was noticeable.

“It’s safe to say he was definitely younger and maybe not as mature as some of us coming in,” Zombo said. “When he came in he was still pretty much just like a kid … but he’s just grown into that college game and grown up really fast.”

Archibald says he thinks a lot has changed about him since arriving at UNO

“Coming in here as a freshman, I was 17, 18 years old and now just being older and more mature, I got bigger and I’d like to think I got a little bit smarter.”

Zombo and Archibald spent a short time at the end of their freshman year skating together but their on-ice chemistry blossomed as sophomores with the two spending the entire season on the same line. Now as roommates, the college buddies have forged a friendship sure to extend long after they leave the UNO campus.

“It’s definitely a friendship that I’m going to take to my grave and will never forget about it,” Archibald said. “He’ll be one of my best friends throughout the rest of my life.”

Drafted by Muskegon of the USHL, Archibald had the option to spend his senior year playing junior hockey. But he says being a standout senior playing for his father better served his development than a season as an average USHL player.

“Not to take anything away from USHL coaches or that league or anything but, for me, I just felt like being able to stay home in Minnesota and play in the [Upper Midwest High School] Elite League in the fall and play for my high school would benefit me a little bit more than going to the USHL and maybe playing on a third line.”

Not only did he spurn the USHL, unlike many of the state’s elite players in recent years, he couldn’t even say it was due to a desire to play with the friends he grew up with much like many of the star senior players so often do. He was born in and grew up outside of Regina, Saskatchewan where he played all of his youth or, as they say in Canada, minor hockey and only played his high school hockey in Minnesota.

Despite not being listed among the 210 North American skaters included in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings as a senior, Archibald again found the road less traveled to his liking when he was selected in the sixth round (174th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 NHL Draft.

Fortunately for Archibald, he had a well-respected advocate right in his back yard. Chuck Grillo, owner of Minnesota Hockey Camps in nearby Nisswa, had the opportunity to observe Archibald regularly in his position as an amateur scout for the Penguins and clearly had Pens GM Ray Shero’s ear.

“He called me on draft day and it was right when they were going to select me and he basically just said, ‘How would you feel being a Pittsburgh Penguin?’” Archibald recounted. “He just held up the phone and they announced my name.

“It was a surreal moment for me and definitely a dream come true.”

Blais is confident, with another year to mature and some added bulk to his frame to allow him to endure the 82-game NHL schedule, Archibald will be ready to step into the Pittsburgh lineup following his senior season.

“When he signs he’ll be ready, they’ll put a uniform on him and he’ll play the game,” Blais said.

The post Path to success is unique for Nebraska Omaha’s Josh Archibald appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Ex-Brainerd star named NCHC Offensive Player of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced today that Omaha junior forward Josh Archibald has been named the Bauer Offensive Player of the Week.  It’s the second time he’s picked up the honor.

Archibald led the Mavericks in scoring last week with three goals and an assist in a pair of road games at New Hampshire.  The Mavericks lost, 6-3 and 5-2.

Josh Archibald
(UNO/Jeff Beiermann)

Archibald scored the first goal of the game on Friday and tallied the second directly after blocking a shot in the third period.  He also had the game’s first goal on Saturday.  He scored the three goals on just five shots for a shooting percentage of 60 percent and also had two blocks for the weekend.

Archibald leads the Mavericks in goals with 14 and points with 21.  His goal total ranks first in the NCHC while his point total is fourth.  He is tied for third in the nation in goals and ranks third with an average of .78 goals per game.  The native of Brainerd, Minn. is just five goals from tying his career high.

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Bemidji State’s Jordan George reached the 50 career goal milestone against Colorado College (Photo: Bemidji State University Athletics)

Jordan George’s goal last Friday night was not only the first of the season for the senior, it also stood as the 50th of his career … He is the 25th player in Beaver hockey history to net 50 goals and the fourth in BSU’s Division 1-era (since 1999-2000) … George is the only current NCAA Division I men’s hockey player to have scored 50 collegiate goals … The Beavers now return home to Sanford Center for the first time since Oct. 20 to host Michigan Tech Nov. 16-17 … The Beavers own a 5-2-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Huskies, which includes a perfect 4-0-0 mark when playing MTU in Bemidji.

Minnesota

The Gophers’ power-play is the third most successful in the country at .286 (12-for-42) – a stat that also a leads the WCHA … The Gophers have now tallied nine power-play goals in the last four games on 22 opportunities for a whopping 41 percent success rate but the Gophers have scored just three even-strength goals during that span … 12 of Minnesota’s 31 overall goals–or 39 percent–have come on the power play. Only Minnesota Duluth’s 53 percent (10 of 19) ranks higher … The Gophers rank second in the WCHA and eighth in the nation in scoring defense with just 18 goals against in nine games (2.00) – Denver leads the league at 1.88 goals against per game … Goaltender Adam Wilcox’s 1.58 goals-against average leads the WCHA and ranks fifth overall in the nation … the rookie’s .786 winning percentage (5-1-1 record) also is the best in the WCHA and the eighth highest percentage in the NCAA this season … Minnesota continues the season this weekend, hosting Wisconsin for a two-game WCHA series at Mariucci Arena … the Gophers are 155-86-20 all-time against the Badgers and 90-27-7 at home.

Minnesota-Duluth

The Bulldogs, who are mired in a five-game winless funk at the moment (0-4-1), will be seeking to notch their first WCHA win of the young 2012-13 season in Grand Forks … Senior right winger Mike Seidel, who has picked up at least one point in seven of UMD’s eight games to date (the exception was a 2-0 shutout loss to Wisconsin on Oct. 26), leads the Bulldogs in scoring with five goals and four assists … Four of his five goals this season have come on the power-play and those four scores are unsurpassed by any NCAA skater at the moment … Rookie center Tony Cameranesi figured in on all four UMD goals in Omaha, scoring once and adding three assists to improve his 2012-13 offensive harvest to seven points … That puts the Plymouth, Minn., product and Toronto Maple Leaf (NHL) draftee third among all WCHA newcomers in scoring … The Bulldogs are the nation’s most penalized team at the moment, averaging 19 minutes of infraction time per outing.

Minnesota State

Sophomore forward Jean-Paul Lafontaine, who has not missed a game in his two-year MSU career, upped his season totals to 3-5=8 with his two-goal, two-assist output in MSU’s two games vs. third-rated Denver last weekend … A member of the 2011-12 WCHA All-Rookie Team, Lafontaine has moved into second place on MSU’s scoring charts, he owns 16-20=36 in 48 career games and is currently riding a four-game point scoring streak (3-4=7) … Sophomore forward Matt Leitner (1-9=10), who led the Mavericks in scoring last year, stands atop MSU scoring charts this year and also leads the Mavericks in assists … In the last three consecutive weeks, Minnesota State has faced three ranked opponents in #15 St. Cloud State, #2 Minnesota and #3 Denver … The Mavericks are outshooting opponents 346-272 in 2012-13.

St. Cloud State

SCSU’s Joe Rehkamp had three assists on Saturday (Photo: St. Cloud State University Athletics)

Junior Nic Dowd and senior Drew LeBlanc ranked second among Division 1 players this season with 14 points apiece … Dowd leads the Huskies with six goals this season and he also has eight helpers in 2012-13 … LeBlanc charted two goals and one assist in the SCSU win over UND to up his season totals to five goals and nine assists … LeBlanc now has 111 career points at SCSU ranking him 17th all-time at SCSU along with former Husky standouts Fred Knipscheer and Tony Gruba … Sophomore forward Joe Rehkamp broke into the SCSU scoring column on Nov. 10 with a career game-high three assists … The Huskies are outscoring their opponents 36-25 in 2012-13, and they are also out­shooting their opponents 304-277 after the first 10 games of the year …  SCSU freshman Jonny Brodzinski got back on the scoresheet with his second goal of the 2012-13 season on Nov. 10 against UND … Brodzinski now has two goals and two assists for the Huskies in his first year at SCSU.

Beyond the Border Scorers

Ryan Walters – Nebraska Omaha (junior, forward, Rosemount, Minn.) – Walters led the Mavericks with five points (2 goals, assists) in UNO’s sweep of Minnesota-Duluth and his 11 points (3-8–11) overall now leads all Nebraska Omaha scorers this season. In addition, Walters had a +3 plus/minus rating for the series.

Archie Skalbeck – Colorado College (junior, forward, Hopkins, Minn.) – Skalbeck had two assists in each game of a CC’s sweep of Bemidji State last weekend including the primary assist both game winners. With his goal against Wisconsin on Nov. 3, Skalbeck now has had a hand in three consecutive game-winning goals for the Tigers.

Connecticut’s Sean Ambrosie (Photo: University of Connecticut Athletics)

Sean Ambrosie – Connecticut (senior, foward, Moorhead, Minn.) – Ambrosie scored the game-winning goal at the start of the third period and assisted on the game-tying goal on the power play to lead the Huskies to a 3-1 win at Merrimack on Saturday.

Josh Archibald – Nebraska Omaha (sophomore, forward, Brainerd, MInn.) – Archibald’s primary assist on Saturday’s game-winning goal was one of his three points (1-2–3) in the series for UNO. His nine points (6-3–9) overall have him tied for third on the team in scoring.

Niagara’s Isaac Kohls (Photo: Niagara University Athletics)

Isaac Kohls – Niagara (sophomore, forward, Forest Lake, Minn.) – Kohls led the offense for the Niagara men’s hockey team with a four-point weekend in a sweep of the Army Black Knights to remain undefeated in AHA play.  Kohls helped the Purple Eagles extend their unbeaten streak to seven games with a goal and three assists in two contests.

Heading to the polls …

Minnesota and St. Cloud State are the only Minnesota teams ranked this week in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll as the Gophers drop one spot to N0. 3 in swapping positions with Denver who is second only to Boston College which received all 50 first-place votes this week. St. Cloud State maintains its hold on No. 15 while  North Dakota (6), Colorado College (14) and Nebraska Omaha (18) are tho other ranked WCHA teams. Last week’s No. 20, Minnesota-Duluth, dropped out of this week’s poll.

USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – November 12, 2012

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Erik Haula’s goal salvaged a tie and a three-point weekend for Minnesota at Anchorage on Saturday night. (Photo: Sam Wasson/UAA Athletics)

No. 3 Denver (7-1-0, 5-1-0 WCHA) at Minnesota State (3-5-2, 1-5-0 WCHA)

Friday: DU 4  MSU 3
Saturday: DU 3  MSU 2

The Pioneers chased MSU starting goaltender Phil Cook in building a 3-0 lead in the first 23:28 on Friday night in Mankato. But goals by Jean-Paul Lafontaine and Eriah Hayes late in the second period closed the gap to one heading into the third. The Mavericks could not bury the equalizer, however, and Daniel Doremus score the eventual game winner for Denver with 6:17 remaining in the third. Lafontaine’s second goal of the game at 18:09 with the MSU net empty restored the one-goal margin, but that is as close as the Mavericks would come

Denver’s Chris Knowlton scored twice on Saturday, including the game winner with 3:12 to play and the Pioneers left Mankato four points richer with a series sweep. For the second straight night, Minnesota State dug itself a hole and trailed 2-0 midway through the first on goals by Knowlton and Doremus. But Hayes trimmed the deficit to one at 15:07 of the opening period and Josh Nelson tied it 2:42 into the third.

No. 6 North Dakota (4-3-1, 2-1-1 WCHA) at No. 15 St. Cloud State (6-4-0, 4-2-0 WCHA)

Friday: UND 3  SCSU 0
Saturday: SCSU 5  UND 2

North Dakota goaltender Clarke Saunders made 32 saves to shut out St. Cloud State 3-0 on Friday night in St. Cloud. UND’s Brendan O’Donnell scored the only goal his team would need just 48 seconds into the contest while Carter Rowney and Mark MacMillan added goals in the second and third periods, respectively.

Drew LeBlanc scored twice to lead the Huskies over North Dakota on Saturday to split the series. (Photo: WCHA.com)

After falling behind North Dakota in the opening period for the second straight night, the Huskies bounced back this time for a resounding 5-2 win on Saturday night. Drew LeBlanc scored twice, including the game winner, and added an assist while SCSU goalie Ryan Faragher made 22 saves for the win. UND’s Drake Caggiula got UND on the board first at 11:18 of the first but Jonny Brodzinski answered with his second goal of the season just 1:01 later. LeBlanc scored twice in the first 12:23 of the second period, the first courtesy of one of Joe Rehkamp‘s three assists on the night, to give the Huskies the lead for good.

Bemidji State (2-3-1, 1-2-1 WCHA) at No. 19 Colorado College (7-3-0, 4-0-0 WCHA) at 

Friday: CC 3  BSU 2
Sunday: CC 6  BSU 3

Rylan Schwartz‘s goal at 16:19 of the second period, one of his two on the night, proved to be the difference in Colorado College’s one-goal win over Bemidji State on Friday night in Colorado Springs. The teams traded goals in a 2-2 first period as the Beavers erased two CC leads on goals by Jordan George and Danny Mattson, the first goals of the season for each. Archie Skalbeck assisted on both of Schwartz’s goals.

Behind two goals and two assists by William Rapuzzi, the Tigers completed a series sweep of BSU on Saturday. Both of Rapuzzi’s goals–including the game winner at 5:17–came in a third period which began with CC clinging to a 3-2 lead. Markus Gerbrandt scored to pull the Beavers within two at 18:32, but that’s as close as BSU would get. Cory Ward and Aaron McLeod also scored for Bemidji State while CC’s Skalbeck (two assists) and Schwartz (three assists) capped off big weekends on Saturday.

No. 2 Minnesota (6-2-1, 3-2-1 WCHA) at Alaska-Anchorage (2-3-3, 0-2-2 WCHA)

Friday: UM 4  UAA 0
Saturday: UM 2  UAA 2

Kyle Rau scored twice while Nick Bjugstad and Ben Marshall each scored a goal for Minnesota on Friday night in Anchorage. Minnesota continued its trend of reliance on the power play for its offense as the Gophers scored four times with the man advantage and Adam Wilcox stopped 14 Seawolves’ shots to post the shutout.

Erik Haula scored Minnesota’s only even-strength goal of the series at 13:31 of the third period on Saturday allowing the Gophers to escape Anchorage with a tie and three of four points on the weekend. The Gophers and Seawolves traded first-period goals and they remained knotted at 1-1 at the second intermission. But Alex Gellert gave UAA its only lead of the series at 5:38 of the third setting the stage for Haula’s big goal.

Minnesota-Duluth (2-5-1, 0-3-1 WCHA) at Nebraska Omaha (6-3-1, 4-1-1 WCHA)

Saturday: UNO 3  UMD 2
Sunday: UNO 6  UMD 3

Mike Seidel and Tony Cameranisi each scored late in the first period to pull the Bulldogs even with UNO at 2-2 after an early two-goal deficit. But the scoring dried up from there until Michael Young‘s goal at 12:12 of the third period lifted the Mavericks over UMD on Saturday night in Omaha. Josh Archibald and Ryan Walters also scored for UNO while Wade Bergman had two assists for the Bulldogs.

Dominic Zombo scored twice and Walters added a goal and an assist as the Mavericks completed a sweep of Minnesota-Duluth on Sunday afternoon. UNO goaltender John Faulkner made 31 saves in raising his record to 6-0-1 overall. Seidel and Joe Basaraba scored first period goals for the Bulldogs as the teams skated to a 2-2 tie after one period as they had the night before. But the Mavericks scored twice in the final 1:14 of the second period, including Zombo’s second of the game with 9.1 seconds left which would hold up as the game winner.

The post WCHA men’s weekend recap appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Dylan Margonari’s goal lifted Minnesota State over No. 2 Minnesota on Saturday (Photo: Minnesota State University Athletics)

No. 2 Minnesota (5-2-0, 2-2-0 WCHA) vs./at Minnesota State (3-3-2, 1-3-0 WCHA)

Friday: UM 3  MSU 2
Saturday: MSU 5  UM 3

Minnesota State led in each of the first two periods on Friday on goals by Zach Palmquist and Teddy Blueger but the No. 2 Gophers battled back to tie each time on power-play goals by Travis Boyd and Nate Schmidt. Zach Budish added a third PP goal at 5:40 of the final period and a great effort by Mavericks goaltender Phil Cook (29 saves) went for naught in a 3-2 Minnesota win. Gopher goalie Adam Wilcox earned his fourth win of the season with 23 saves.

The teams traveled to Mankato for Saturday’s rematch and Dylan Margonari provided the evening’s heroics. The MSU freshman forward’s goal at 16:19 of the final period gave the Mavericks a 4-3 lead on their way to a 5-3 win. Minnesota State’s goal scoring was spread among five players with 10 registering MSU’s 11 total points. Cook was strong again with 25 saves to pick up his third win of the year while Wilcox made 30 saves in his first loss. Erik Haula had a goal and two assist while Nate Condon added a goal and an assist for Minnesota.

No. 18 St. Cloud State (5-3-0, 3-1-0 WCHA) at No. 5 Denver (5-1-0, 3-1-0 WCHA)

Friday: SCSU 3  DU 0
Saturday: DU 6  SCSU 1

St. Cloud State forwards Nic Dowd and Kalle Kossila continued their hot starts and Ryan Faragher made 28 saves to shut out the nation’s highest scoring offense on Friday night in Denver. Dowd scored his fifth and sixth goals of the year and Kosilla his fourth as No. 18 SCSU handed No. 3 Denver its first loss of the season.

The Pioneers bounced back on Saturday, however, behind senior forward Chris Knowlton‘s hat trick and assist to snap the Huskies’ winning streak at five games. Cory Thorson scored  St. Cloud State’s lone goal against DU goalie Juho Olkinuora (20 saves) while Faragher (11 saves on 14 shots) was replaced by freshman Rasmus Reijola (16-19) just 1:03 into the second period after David Makowski‘s goal gave Denver a 3-1 lead.

Colorado College (5-3-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) at Wisconsin (1-4-1, 1-2-1 WCHA)

Friday: CC 5  UW 4 (OT)
Sunday: CC 3  UW 0

On a night in which Wisconsin honored legendary CC and UW coach, Bob Johnson, with a pregame ceremony dedicating the Kohl Center ice to “Badger Bob’s” memory, the Tigers spoiled the party with a 5-4 victory on an Alexander Krushelnyski goal just 25 second into overtime. Friday night’s winner was set up, ironically, by Edina’s Charlie Taft whose father, John Taft, played for Johnson and the Badgers in the 1970’s. CC’s Eamonn McDermott contributed 3 assists to the cause.

Plymouth’s Joe Howe shut out Wisconsin on Saturday to complete a sweep of the Badgers in Madison. (Photo: WCHA.com)

Former Hopkins forward Archie Skalbeck‘s fourth goal of the season at 1:58 of the second period held up as the game winner on Saturday night when Plymouth’s Joe Howe shut out the Badgers on 33 saves to raise his record to 2-0-0 on the season. Krushelnyski scored for the second straight night and McDermott added his fourth assist of the series. To make matters worse for the Badgers, star forward Mark Zengerle was lost in the second period to what UW coach Mike Eaves confirmed was a broken finger.

Nebraska Omaha (4-3-1, 2-1-1 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (2-6-0, 1-5-0 WCHA)

Friday: UNO 2  MTU 1
Saturday: UNO 5  MTU 3

Nebraska Omaha’s Zahn Raubenheimer scored twice, including the dramatic winning goal at 18:50 of the third period, to lead the Mavericks over the Huskies in Houghton, Mich. on Friday night. After Raubenheimer put UNO on the board at 5:38 of the second, MTU’s Tanner Kero tied just under 10 minutes later setting up Raubenheimer’s late-game heroics.

Raubenheimer haunted Michigan Tech again on Saturday scoring two more goals, including  his second consecutive game winner, as the Mavericks completed the road sweep of MTU. Brainerd’s Josh Archibald also scored twice and Rosemount’s Ryan Walters had a goal and a pair of assists for Nebraska Omaha. UNO goaltender John Faulkner followed up Friday night’s 21-save performance with 24 more to raise his record to 4-0-1.

No. 12 Boston University (4-2-0, 3-1-0 HE) at No. 5 North Dakota (3-2-1, 1-0-1 WCHA)

Friday: UND 4  BU 2
Saturday: BU 4  UND 2

Edina’s Connor Gaarder scored a hat trick and Rocco Grimaldi added a goal and an assist to lead North Dakota to a non-conference win over Boston University in Grand Forks on Friday night. Clarke Saunders made 20 saves in the victory for UND.

The Terriers returned the favor on Saturday by an identical 4-2 score to earn a split on the road. BU’s scoring came from four different players including Danny O’Regan who added an assist. Eden Prairie’s Danny Kristo and Stephane Pattyn scored UND’s goals and goalie Zane Gothberg of Thief River Falls made 29 saves in the loss.

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