Jan. 25, 2005

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2004-05 - GAMES 25 & 26

WAYNE STATE HOCKEY (12-10-2, 5-5-2 CHA)
at Nebraska-Omaha (12-10-2, 10-8-2 CCHA)
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 29-30 - Omaha, Neb.

MATCH-UP AT A GLANCE:

Arena - Omaha Civic Auditorium (8,314)
Surface - 200' x 85'
Face-off - 8:05 p.m. Eastern
Series Record - First Meeting

THE GAMES

The Wayne State University men's hockey team will play its final regular-season non-conference games this weekend at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Both contests will be played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium for a "Back to the Bullpen" and "throwback" weekend.

The Warriors are currently 7-5-0 in non-conference games this season including a 3-2-0 road mark. WSU has non-league road victories at Merrimack (5-1 on Oct. 22), at Providence (4-2 on Nov. 5) and at Bowling Green (9-3 on Nov. 20).

Wayne State has split nine of its 12 series this year and has not been swept since March 5-6, 2004, when Air Force won twice, 6-4 and 3-1, at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth.

WSU recorded a 4-1 win over Robert Morris on Saturday behind two goals from Mark Nebus. In Sunday's 4-3 overtime setback, WSU rallied three times from one-goal deficits but RMU's Brett Hopfe scored 38 seconds into the extra session. Stavros Paskaris assisted on five of WSU's seven goals.

The Warriors have never skated against the UNO Mavericks, but WSU has compiled a 5-21-2 all-time mark against CCHA teams (0-3-1 at Alaska Fairbanks, 1-3-1 vs. Bowling Green, 1-3-0 vs. Ferris State, 2-2-0 vs. Lake Superior, 1-1-0 at Michigan State, 0-4-0 vs. Northern Michigan, 0-2-0 vs. Notre Dame and 0-3-0 at Ohio State).

THE COACHES

Wayne State's Bill Wilkinson is 24th in NCAA history with 406 career wins. He is in his sixth season at WSU and 23rd season overall.

Mike Kemp is in his eighth season at Nebraska-Omaha after beginning the program in 1997.

THE SERIES

Wayne State has never skated against the Mavericks.

IN THE POLLS

Wayne State was selected fourth in the College Hockey America (CHA) preseason coaches' poll, while Nebraska-Omaha is one of the biggest surprises in college hockey after being tabbed for 12th in the CCHA.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA-OMAHA

The Mavericks had a five-game (4-0-1) unbeaten streak snapped at Miami University, 4-2, last Saturday.

Freshman forward Bill Thomas leads UNO in assists (20) and points (32) and is second in goals behind sophomore forward Scott Parse's 13. Parse has a team-best six power-play goals.

Sophomore netminder Chris Holt (12-9-2, 2.64, .911) has started 22 of UNO's 24 games and has one shutout, a 4-0 win over Ohio State on Nov. 19.

UNO's power play has scored 27 times in 165 chances (16.4%), while allowing 28 goals in 157 opponent man-advantage opportunities (82.2%).

ROBERT MORRIS RECAP

WSU played its first home games in six weeks and continued the season-long trend with a split against CHA newcomer Robert Morris. The Warriors scored the final three goals on Saturday for a 4-1 triumph. Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss was the first extra session setback since Feb. 21, 2003.

Wayne State started early as Adam Krug scored just 1:59 into the contest off assists from Tylor Michel and Matt Boldt. The Colonials tied the contest on a power-play goal by Brett Hopfe at the 5:57 mark of the opening period. The first period ended 1-1 with RMU holding an 11-10 advantage in shots on goal.

The second period was scoreless until the final minute when a Dan Iliakis shot bounced in off Mark Nebus with just 36 seconds remaining in the stanza.

Nebus scored his second of the contest at the 6:19 mark of the third period as he banged in his own rebound. Stavros Paskaris and John May assisted on Nebus' eighth of the campaign.

Jason Bloomingburg completed the scoring with a power-play goal at the 8:52 mark. Bloomingburg's team-leading 15th goal of the season was assisted by Paskaris and Steve Kovalchik. Paskaris, who also assisted on WSU's second goal, became the first Warrior skater to earn three assists in a game this season.

Wayne State goalie Matt Kelly made 23 saves including 11 in the middle period. Colonial netminder Christian Boucher stopped 24 Warrior shots. Each team scored one man-advantage marker, RMU in four chances and WSU in five opportunities.

Wayne State suffered its first overtime loss since Feb. 21, 2003, as Robert Morris University's Brett Hopfe scored 38 seconds into the extra session giving the Colonials their first ever College Hockey America league victory.

Three times the Warriors rallied from one-goal deficits only to lose for the first time in the last 10 overtime contests. In WSU's six-year history, Wayne State has compiled a 13-6-16 mark in overtime games. The Warriors' last loss came by a 3-2 score at Niagara on the aforementioned Feb. 21, 2003.

All three of RMU's regulation goals were scored with the man-advantage. Joe Federoff gave the guests a 1-0 lead 5:22 into the contest. WSU rallied on a goal by John May at the 6:31 mark of the opening period. May's eighth of the campaign was assisted by linemates Stavros Paskaris and Mark Nebus.

The Colonials regained their one-goal advantage less than six minutes later on a power-play goal by David Boguslawski. Wayne State trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes despite having a 16-11 advantage in shots on goal. WSU goalie Will Hooper was scheduled to start but had an equipment problem after the national anthem and was forced to the tunnel, giving sophomore Kevin Bonikowski his first collegiate action. Bonikowski did not face any shots in the first 2:25 of the contest and was replaced by Hooper for the remainder of the match.

A scoreless second period saw WSU hold a 15-9 lead in shots on goal aided by three power-play chances.

Wayne State tied the contest at two just 74 seconds into the third period on Jason Baclig's second goal of the season and his first since Oct. 22. Greg Poupard and Nate Higgins assisted on a goal which came just four seconds after a penalty to RMU's Chris Kaufman had expired.

Neither team scored for the next 12 minutes, but Robert Morris took its third one-goal lead on a man-advantage marker by Doug Conley with 6:06 left in regulation. WSU blueliner Dan Iliakis picked a great time for his first goal of the season (and first since Dec. 27, 2003) as he blistered a shot from the right face-off circle past RMU goalie Christian Boucher with 2:59 remaining in the third period. Nebus and Paskaris each earned their second assists of the contest on the Warrior lamp-lighter. The only shot on goal of overtime was Brett Hopfe's seventh of the season for RMU.

Hooper made 22 saves in the Warrior cage, while Boucher turned aside 40 of WSU's 43 shots. RMU scored three power-play goals in five chances, and stopped all eight Wayne State man-advantage opportunities.