SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — John Marino scored at 4:03 of the third period to break a tie and give the Utah Mammoth a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Marino also assisted on Nick Schmaltz’s 17th goal of the season and Karel Vejmelka made 26 stops as the Mammoth won for the fifth time in six games.

Mikko Rantanen scored and Jake Oettinger had 25 saves for Dallas, which has lost nine of its last 11 games.

Schmaltz broke a scoreless deadlock with 7 seconds left in the second period, tipping in a feed from Marino. It was the fourth latest goal in any regulation period in Utah’s short franchise history.

The Mammoth nearly made it 2-0 just 38 seconds into the third, but Lawson Crouse had his goal wiped off the board for high-sticking.

Rantanen leveled the score with a power-play goal at the 2:04 of the third.

Marino answered two minutes later, snapping the puck home from long distance to put the Mammoth up 2-1 with his second winning goal of the season.

Utah improved to 16-1-1 this season when leading after two periods.

Up next

Stars: host Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Mammoth: host Seattle on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

One proposal eliminates the voucher program for private school and homeschooled students. Arts programs, suicide prevention and dual immersion may also be trimmed.

Utah’s education leaders are considering what programs should be cut to meet the Utah Legislature’s mandate to trim 5% of the state’s budget — and everything from suicide prevention to school vouchers is on the block.

The Utah State Board of Education is meeting Thursday to consider recommendations to cut the state’s nearly $6 billion schools budget. The board is scheduled to meet at noon to discuss two proposals, each of which recommends cuts of just over $295.7 million.

The biggest proposed cut is the elimination of Utah Fits All, the voucher program that allocates money to students in private schools or being homeschooled.

One proposal recommends defunding the $122.6 million Utah Fits All program, while the other suggests cutting $6.1 million, or 5%, of the voucher program.

These are some of the programs suggested for elimination in both proposals:

• Student mental health screenings, a program the Legislature created in 2024 to improve students’ well-being: $1 million.

• A suicide-prevention program the Legislature created last year, to help prevent student suicides and track schools’ efforts: $1 million.

• Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarships, which are available to students with disabilities who attend private schools: $8.6 million.

• Dual immersion programs that allow students to learn a second language through classes that are half in English and half in another language: $7.9 million.

• A program that helps school districts with construction, renovation and debt service of new buildings: $27.6 million.

• A program that adds $4,100 to the salaries of qualifying secondary math and science teachers: $26 million.

• Software licenses for early literacy education to help students in grades K-3 who are reading below grade level: $10.6 million.

• Digital teaching and learning programs that help educators find ways to use technology in the classroom: $18.4 million.

Each of the two proposals also recommends eliminating one of the state’s arts education programs. One suggests cutting the $19.4 million allocated to the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program, which provides funding for arts-integrated education in elementary schools.

The other calls for cutting the $6.1 million given to the Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools, or POPS, which pays to bring in nonprofits — including Tanner Dance, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and others — to teach the arts in schools.

Here are other programs that are being suggested for elimination on one of the two proposals:

• A program aiming to strengthen human trafficking and child sexual abuse education in elementary and secondary public schools: $1 million.

• Software that evaluates the reading level of elementary school students: $2.8 million.

The Utah Legislature has asked all state agencies to look for 5% to cut from their budgets, House Majority Whip Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Riverton, said Monday at a United Way-sponsored preview breakfast. Pierucci said House Speaker Mike Schultz is spearheading the budget cutbacks, which she said are a response to the rise in local property taxes around the state.

“With everything we see at the local level, we thought we could not ask our local [leaders] to cut budgets if we’re not willing to show [we can do] that,” Pierucci said.

Whatever recommendation USBE approves Thursday will next go to the Utah Legislature for consideration. The Legislature’s 2026 general session begins Tuesday.

This is a developing story.

Utah Jazz (14-26, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (15-26, 12th in the Western Conference)

Dallas; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Jazz -1.5; over/under is 235.5

BOTTOM LINE: Utah faces the Dallas Mavericks after Brice Sensabaugh scored 43 points in the Jazz’s 128-126 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

The Mavericks are 8-18 in Western Conference games. Dallas is the best team in the Western Conference with 18.0 fast break points led by Cooper Flagg averaging 3.4.

The Jazz have gone 8-18 against Western Conference opponents. Utah leads the Western Conference with 30.1 assists. Keyonte George leads the Jazz with 6.9.

The Mavericks score 112.9 points per game, 14.1 fewer points than the 127.0 the Jazz allow. The Jazz are shooting 46.4% from the field, 0.2% higher than the 46.2% the Mavericks’ opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Jazz won the last meeting 116-114 on Jan. 9, with Lauri Markkanen scoring 33 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Flagg is averaging 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall is averaging 15.3 points over the last 10 games.

George is averaging 23.8 points and 6.9 assists for the Jazz. Walter Clayton is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 3-7, averaging 110.6 points, 44.7 rebounds, 23.9 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.3 points per game.

Jazz: 3-7, averaging 116.3 points, 41.5 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 7.9 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.4 points.

INJURIES: Mavericks: Max Christie: day to day (illness), Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Cooper Flagg: day to day (ankle), Kyrie Irving: out (knee), Dante Exum: out for season (knee), Anthony Davis: out (hand).

Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: day to day (illness), Georges Niang: day to day (foot), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.