DETROIT – Michigan's hockey team got a not-so-subtle reminder when it left the locker room for its Central Collegiate Hockey Association semifinal game with Nebraska Omaha on Friday.

"The score of last year's game (a 7-4 Nebraska Omaha victory) was on the board," said Craig Murray, who scored Michigan's first goal in its 3-2 victory over the Mavericks.

	Michigan defensemen Mike Roemensky, bottom, and Dave Huntzicker send Nebraska-Omaha's Jeff Hoggan flying during the Wolverines' win.

"We also had a tough game against them at their place this year so we knew we had to come out and initiate the contact."

Freshman Joe Kautz had a goal and an assist as the Wolverines, 24-11-5, advanced to Saturday's championship game against top-seeded Michigan State which edged Bowling Green 2-1 in the other semifinal. Nebraska Omaha fell to 24-15-3.

Michigan led 3-0 after the first period but Nebraska Omaha, which beat the Wolverines 7-4 in the semifinals last season, came back with a pair of second-period goals to cut the lead to 3-2 going into the final period.

The Mavericks nearly tied the game at 4:14 of the third period when Scott Turner's shot went through goalie Josh Blackburn's pads but hit the stick of Nebraska Omaha's Kyle O'Keefe and stayed out of the net.

"That was one of those bad breaks that happens," said Mavericks coach Mike Kemp. "It's unfortunate because that line worked real hard."

Nebraska Omaha almost scored the equalizer again with two minutes left and the Mavericks playing shorthanded. David Brisson took the puck away from Michigan's Andy Hilbert at the blue line and skated in alone on Blackburn, who got a piece of the shot with his blocker and deflected it off the goalpost.

"I can't think of anybody I'd rather have on a breakaway than our leading scorer," Kemp said. "This is a game of millimeters. A millimeter the other way and it deflects into the goal instead of off the post."

Murray opened the scoring for Michigan at 7:25 on a one-timer from the top of the left faceoff circle.

Mike Cammalleri made it 2-0 with his 26th goal of the season, a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle at 9:52. The Wolverines increased their lead to 3-0 with 1:34 remaining in the first period when Kautz deflected Dave Huntzicker's shot from the point past Mavericks goalie Dan Ellis.

Nebraska Omaha began its comeback at 10:02 of the second period when Turner scored from a goalmouth scramble.

The Mavericks cut the Michigan lead to one at 15:50 on Greg Zanon's slap shot from just inside the blue line.

"They played hard and with a lot of emotion, especially after their second goal," said Michigan coach Red Berenson.

Berenson seemed relieved to escape with the win.

"I can't say I'm happy with the way we played, but I'm pleased that we found a way to win," he said.