OMAHA, Neb. - The Alaska Nanooks hockey team used a goal 2:00 into overtime from Brady Risk to take a 3-2 OT game one win over the Omaha Mavericks on Friday, Oct. 21. With the win, the Nanooks improved to 3-3-1 on the season. The two teams will play again Sunday, Oct. 23 at 11:00 a.m. AKT. 

"It was a great team win tonight." said head coach Erik Largen, "We felt like our group really deserved to win tonight. We need to clean up special teams and get some rest for Sunday. Omaha is a very good team." 

Karl Falk got the scoring started for the Nanooks 11:31 into the first. The sophomore defenseman tallied his first-career point and goal on a drop-off from Connor Mylymok. Mylymok brought the puck into the attacking zone and left it for Falk near the face-off circle. He snapped a wrist shot past Omaha netminder Jake Kucharski, beating him five-hole and giving the Nanooks an early 1-0 lead. Colin Doyle was awarded the secondary. Nearly six minutes later, the Nanooks tallied another. Jonny Sorenson played the puck into the Mavericks zone and from just inside the point, flipped the puck to the front of the net; Harrison Israels, cutting in front of the defense, found just enough of the puck to tip it past Kucharski for his second goal of the season and the second Nanook goal of the night. This goal came while down a man following a hooking call on Doyle. The shorthanded goal was the Nanooks first since Simon Falk scored one in a 4-3 win at LIU on Feb. 19, 2022 last season. 
 

Omaha got on the board 31 seconds later. They capitalized on the same power-play opportunity. Jake Pivonka tallied the first of the night for the Mavs. He took a pass from Davis Pennington and beat Nanooks' goalie Matt Radomsky. Ty Mueller played the puck to Pennington at the point who then made the swing pass to Pivonka near the face-off circle to Radomsky's left. He put the one-timer through the 'Nooks goalie, pulling the score to 2-1, 17:41 into the first. 

The 2-1 Alaska lead stuck through the entirety of the second but 4:08 into the third period, the Mavericks tied it at 2-2 while on the power play again. They scored after Matt Koethe was called for a slashing call 3:31 into the third. This time it was Matt Miller. Joaquim Lemay started the play in his own zone, making the initial pass to Tyler Weiss from his own slot. Weiss brought the puck into the opposing zone and found a cutting Matt Miller behind Radomsky; he was able to redirect the puck into the back of the net for the power-play goal and equalizer. 

After ending regulation in a 2-2 tie, the Nanooks capitalized in the 3-on-3 period as Brady Risk scored the game-winner after a mad scramble in front of the Omaha net. A.J. Macaulay put the initial shot on goal but after a Kucharski save, the puck came loose behind him and Jonny Sorenson tried to put the puck in for the win. His efforts were denied as Omaha defenders crashed the net. After a few attempts, the puck came loose to the right of the crease and Risk followed through with the backhand winner. Omaha requested a review, but the goal was confirmed and the Nanooks ended game one as winners. Sorenson earned another assist on the play and finished the night with two points, both on assists. A.J. Macaulay earned the secondary assist on the game-winner, his first career-point and assist for the Nanooks.

Matt Radomsky finished the night in goal with 23 saves on 25 shots-on-goal. He made seven saves in the first, eight in the second, eight in the third and did not face a shot attempt in the overtime period. He posted a .920 save percentage for his third win in a Nanooks uniform. 

The two teams do battle again on Sunday, Oct. 23 at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb. at 11:00 a.m. AKT. The game can be watched on NCHC.tv or listened to on KSUA 91.5 FM with Bruce Cech bringing you all of the play-by-play action. 

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Instagram or Twitter, or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.