Scero's 4 Goals Send Mavs to Record Win
Oct 20, 2006 | Hockey
OMAHA, Neb. - Brandon Scero scored a school-record four goals and Alex Nikiforuk had five points to tie a school record as the Mavericks blitzed Niagara, 10-1, Friday night in front of 5,066 at Qwest Center Omaha in the first round of the Mutual of Omaha Stampede. The Mavericks, now 1-0-2, will meet Northern Michigan Saturday night at 7:05 in the championship game as they try to win their third straight Omaha Cup.
Niagara, which fell to 2-3-0, will meet UMass-Lowell at 4:05 p.m. in the consolation game. Northern Michigan came from behind to post a 2-1 win over the River Hawks in the opening game Friday on goals by Matt Siddall and Mike Santorelli.
The 10 goals was also a record. The previous record for goals in a game was eight, on four occasions, including three times last season.
UNO scored in a variety of ways, getting two power play goals, two shorthanded efforts and six even-strength goals. Scero scored twice in the first, once in the second and then capped the night with his fourth midway through the third period. Four other Mavericks had recorded three-goal hat tricks in the past, including Nikiforuk in last year's Stampede opener.
Nikiforuk had a second period power play goal and four assists, tying four Mavericks, including current teammate Scott Parse. Nenad Gajic, who scored the game's first goal just 5:03 into the contest, had a goal and three assists, Tomas Klempa added a pair of goals and an assist, and Juha Uotila had three first-period assists.
The Mavericks will be without defenseman Juha Uotila, who had a five-minute major for fighting and a game disqualification late in the second period. Uotila had three assists in the five-goal first period.
Ted Cook spoiled Jerad Kaufmann's bid for a third career shutout when he slipped the puck underneath him from the slot at 19:14 of the second period.
UNO outshot the Purple Eagles, 42-17.
First Period: 1, UNO Nenad Gajic 1 (Tomas Klempa, Juha Uotila) 5:03. 2, UNO, Brandon Scero 1 (Alex Nikiforuk, Eddie Del Grosso), 9:01 pp. 3, UNO, JJ Koehler 2, (Uotila) , 12:21, sh. 4, UNO, Tomas Klempa 2 (Dan Charleston, Jeric Agosta) 13:03. 5, UNO, Scero 2 (Nikiforuk, Uotila) 17:54.
Second Period: 6, UNO, Klempa 3, (Scott Parse, Phil Angell) 8:06, sh . 7, UNO, Adam Bartholomay 1 (unassisted) 11:30. 8, UNO, Alex Nikiforuk (Charleston, Jerad Kaufmann) 14:51, pp. 9, UNO, Scero 3 (Gajic, Nikiforuk) 16:27. 10, NU, Ted Cook 4 (unassisted) 19:14.
Third Period: 11, UNO, Scero 4 (Gajic, Nikiforuk) 11:25.
Penalties: Niagara 7-22; UNO 7-25.
Power Plays: Niagara 0-6; UNO 2-5.
Saves: Juliano Pagliero, NU, 6; Scott Mollison, NU 2, Allen Barton, NU 24 ; Jerad Kaufmann, UNO, 16.
Attendance: 5,066
Niagara, which fell to 2-3-0, will meet UMass-Lowell at 4:05 p.m. in the consolation game. Northern Michigan came from behind to post a 2-1 win over the River Hawks in the opening game Friday on goals by Matt Siddall and Mike Santorelli.
The 10 goals was also a record. The previous record for goals in a game was eight, on four occasions, including three times last season.
UNO scored in a variety of ways, getting two power play goals, two shorthanded efforts and six even-strength goals. Scero scored twice in the first, once in the second and then capped the night with his fourth midway through the third period. Four other Mavericks had recorded three-goal hat tricks in the past, including Nikiforuk in last year's Stampede opener.
Nikiforuk had a second period power play goal and four assists, tying four Mavericks, including current teammate Scott Parse. Nenad Gajic, who scored the game's first goal just 5:03 into the contest, had a goal and three assists, Tomas Klempa added a pair of goals and an assist, and Juha Uotila had three first-period assists.
The Mavericks will be without defenseman Juha Uotila, who had a five-minute major for fighting and a game disqualification late in the second period. Uotila had three assists in the five-goal first period.
Ted Cook spoiled Jerad Kaufmann's bid for a third career shutout when he slipped the puck underneath him from the slot at 19:14 of the second period.
UNO outshot the Purple Eagles, 42-17.
First Period: 1, UNO Nenad Gajic 1 (Tomas Klempa, Juha Uotila) 5:03. 2, UNO, Brandon Scero 1 (Alex Nikiforuk, Eddie Del Grosso), 9:01 pp. 3, UNO, JJ Koehler 2, (Uotila) , 12:21, sh. 4, UNO, Tomas Klempa 2 (Dan Charleston, Jeric Agosta) 13:03. 5, UNO, Scero 2 (Nikiforuk, Uotila) 17:54.
Second Period: 6, UNO, Klempa 3, (Scott Parse, Phil Angell) 8:06, sh . 7, UNO, Adam Bartholomay 1 (unassisted) 11:30. 8, UNO, Alex Nikiforuk (Charleston, Jerad Kaufmann) 14:51, pp. 9, UNO, Scero 3 (Gajic, Nikiforuk) 16:27. 10, NU, Ted Cook 4 (unassisted) 19:14.
Third Period: 11, UNO, Scero 4 (Gajic, Nikiforuk) 11:25.
Penalties: Niagara 7-22; UNO 7-25.
Power Plays: Niagara 0-6; UNO 2-5.
Saves: Juliano Pagliero, NU, 6; Scott Mollison, NU 2, Allen Barton, NU 24 ; Jerad Kaufmann, UNO, 16.
Attendance: 5,066
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