Weekly Release
CCHA Weekly Release

This Week:  The UNO hockey team returns to Central Collegiate Hockey Association play when it hosts the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 8 and 9.  Friday's game begins at 7:35 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 7:05 p.m.  This is the first weekend series the Mavericks have played at Qwest Center Omaha since Nov. 27 and 28.

Last Week:  The Mavericks split a pair of games at the 18th annual Denver Cup last weekend in Denver, Colo.  The Mavs suffered their worst loss of the season, losing 7-0 to the #2 Denver Pioneers in the opening round.  The next afternoon, UNO skated to a 2-2 tie with St. Lawrence of the ECAC.  Mark Bernier and Matt Ambroz each scored powerplay goals for the Mavs who won the non-binding shootout that followed the overtime period 1-0 on a goal by John Kemp.  John Faulkner made 29 saves.

The Records:  The Mavericks are now 9-8-5 this season and 5-7-2-1 in the CCHA, putting them in a tie for seventh place with Northern Michigan.  Alaska is 9-5-4 overall and 6-5-3-3 in the CCHA, good for fourth place.  

The Series:  The Mavericks are 15-21-11 all-time against Alaska including a mark of 9-9-5 at home.  Last year, the two teams tied a pair of games in Omaha, 0-0 and 1-1.  Each team won a game in the shootout.  Remarkably, the Nanooks have not played a game since splitting two games with the Mavericks in Fairbanks on Dec. 11 and 12.  Alaska won the first night 4-3 while the Mavs responded with a 5-3 win the next night to snap a five-game winless streak against their rivalry partners.

The Coaches:  #Dean Blais# is in his first year as the head coach of the Mavericks.  He brings an impressive resume to Omaha, having led the University of North Dakota to national titles in 1997 and 2000.  He won five WCHA regular season titles with UND and two playoff championships.  He is a two-time winner of the Spencer Penrose Memorial Award given to Division I hockey's top coach.  The native of International Falls, Minn. has a career record of 270-122-36.  He has just returned from coaching Team USA to a gold medal in the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Blais is assisted by former Omaha Lancer head coach and first-year associate head coach Mike Hastings and third-year assistant coach Nick Fohr.  Dallas Ferguson is in his second season leading the Nanooks.  The '96 graduate of Alaska is 26-21-10 overall.

Media:  Friday's game will be carried live statewide on NET 1, Nebraska's PBS.  Dave Ahlers will call the play-by-play, and former UNO goalie Kendall Sidoruk will handle color.  Larry Punteney will report from rinkside.  Both games also will be broadcast live on “The Voice of Omaha's Team”, KVNO 90.7 FM.  Frank Adkisson will call the action on Friday and Ahlers will return to the play-by-play chair on Saturday, while Terry Leahy will provide analysis both nights.  Coverage begins 20 minutes before the face-off.  Live audio is available at kvno.org and live stats at omavs.com.

Coming Up:  The Mavericks will finish off their four-game season series with Lake Superior State with games at Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15 and 16.  Game time both nights is 6:05 p.m. CT.