Penalty calls help Nebraska Omaha one game, then hurt in next at the Ralph

Nebraska Omaha got a split at The Ralph this past weekend. And penalties told much of the story.

On Friday, the Mavericks scored five power play goals -- on seven chances -- in routing the Sioux 8-4. The next night, North Dakota had the final seven power plays of the game and beat UNO 4-2.

It was a scoreless game Saturday until UNO's Terry Broadhurst scored a short-handed goal early in the third period.

But then Evan Trupp made a game-changing play. The Sioux forward blocked a shot, drew a hooking penalty and scored a goal on a breakaway.

On the ensuing power play, the Sioux's Danny Kristo gave the home team its first lead of the weekend at 2-1.

North Dakota was 2-for-8 on the power play, UNO 0-for-4 and the Mavs' last power play was early in the second period. Both UNO goals came short-handed.

The Grand Forks Herald story is here.

TOM POHL DOING WELL

Time flies, Tom Pohl said, when you are in the real world, the working world.

It has been almost three ago since the night the ex-Gopher nearly died from a hockey head injury .

The fourth-line forward suffered a skull fracture in the Gophers' 3-2, two-overtime victory over Minnesota State on March 16, 2008 in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Pohl, then a college senior, was in surgery only a few hours after the injury.

Pohl works full-time in human resources for the Fourth District Court which serves Hennepin County. And, at night, he attends William Mitchell law school. He hopes to get his law degree in another two years.

He is still single but has a girlfriend.

"Once you hit the real world, it's kind of funny how fast time goes," Pohl said. "The kids who were freshmen my last year as a Gopher are now seniors."

He has not attended any Gophers games this season but follows the team on TV when he can and roots for the U of M. "Let's hope we can get a run going here the second half of the year," Pohl said.

EX-FALCON TO YALE

Fallen of Plymouth is in his second season with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders. He originally committed to Air Force before his senior season at Armstrong. He is one of the defensemen on his high school's 40th anniversary team.

HOBEY VOTING TIGHTENS UP

Last week Sioux forward Matt Frattin was a runaway leader in early fan voting for the Hobey Baker Award. Now he has some competition.