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Bryce Aneloski's persistence has begun turning into consistency.

After a nine-game streak without a point, the University of Nebraska at Omaha defenseman has made his mark in eight of the last nine games, including seven in a row, after getting a goal and an assist in last weekend's series at Michigan Tech.

Included in that stretch were goals in three consecutive games — the overtime game winner Jan. 20 at Minnesota State-Mankato, a clutch third-period goal in a game the Mavs eventually lost the following night, and a third-period goal that gave UNO a tie against Bemidji State on Feb. 3.

"It's getting better," Aneloski said. "I definitely hit a rough patch where I wasn't getting that many points offensively. I think I just need to stay patient and see it through.

"The plays I've had so far, I've been able to get pucks on the net and good things have happened. It goes to show that if you're aggressive and you have a shot-first mentality, things can happen."

Aneloski, a 6-foot-2, 207-pound junior from Pekin, Ill., had a goal and six assists for seven points in the first eight games of the season before starting to cool off. He didn't record a point in a home series with Colorado College, but had assists each night in a road series at Bemidji State. Then, from Nov. 12 through Dec. 30, nothing.

He came out of it with an assist against Quinnipiac, didn't get a point in the series opener with then-No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth, then picked up an assist in the second game — a UNO victory on Jan. 14 — and hasn't stopped contributing offensively.

What attributes help Aneloski, who has five goals and 12 assists, rank tied for 12th in scoring among WCHA defensemen?

"He talks a lot," UNO coach Dean Blais said. "He talks about his opportunities and about missed opportunities. He's a guy who wants the puck in clutch situations. The puck has a way of going in when he's shooting it.

"I know if I was a forward and I saw him get the puck I'd be right in front of that net, because it's going to end up somewhere around the net. Whether it goes in or there's a rebound, he's finding a way to get his points."

Aneloski is more than just an offensive defenseman. He's also typically in UNO's top defense pairing and is a mainstay on the penalty kill. He's blocked a team-high 44 shots.

He'd have a plus-2 rating for the season, if not for an ugly minus-3 during a 6-2 loss to Minnesota-Duluth, the only game in which he hasn't produced a point in 2012.

"I've been plus more than minus, which is big," said Aneloski, a seventh-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2010. "I had a game against Duluth where I was minus-3 — that's never good. I want to be a plus player after every game. That's an area you have to concentrate on — get pucks on net, join the rush when it's there, not necessarily forcing it, but taking the play that comes to you."

Wisconsin's Justin Schultz and Denver's Joey LaLeggia grab much of the attention among WCHA defensemen, but Aneloski isn't too far down the list, Blais said.

"He's gotten more confident, and he's never been a defenseman who's made mistakes pinching in or who's made bad reads or decisions," Blais said. "All the defensemen, just like all the forwards, you'd like to see them be a little more physical and block shots and be gritty."

Though a junior, Aneloski is in his second season at UNO. He started his college career at Providence in the 2008-09 season and played 16 games before returning to junior hockey. Skating with Cedar Rapids in 2009-10, he led all USHL defensemen with 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists) and was first-team all-league.

"I was patient through the whole process," Aneloski said. "I knew when I went back that I was going to be there for a year-and-a-half, so I took it as a chance to work hard in school and really find my game and become a more mature person. And I've definitely found a good spot here."

He hadn't considered UNO much out of high school, but took the opportunity when it came.

"I'd always heard about the program," he said. "But I didn't really think too much about it until I found out they were going to the WCHA and then hired Coach Blais. That really intrigued me and sold me in the end."

He played in all 39 games last year, and had two goals and 17 assists to rank second among UNO defensemen with 19 points.

"We need more guys to get the shot off quick, and that's one thing that Bryce does," Blais said. "He's got pretty good hands and feet, and he can move left or right a couple of feet to get the shot off. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't, but he's at least getting the shots off."

Contact the writer:

402-444-1027, rob.white@owh.com

twitter.com/RWhiteOWH

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