Weekly Release
This Week
A new era of hockey begins for the University of Nebraska at Omaha as the Mavericks begin play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. UNO will take on Minnesota on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15 and 16 at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. Game time each night is 7:07 p.m. These games will mark just the second and third meetings all-time between the two schools and the first since 2003.
The Teams
UNO is off to a 2-0-0 start after winning its own season-opening tournament last week. The Mavericks beat Clarkson, 8-0, on Friday and then came from behind to stop then-No. 18 RIT, 5-3, on Saturday to win the Mutual of Omaha Stampede. The Mavs have won two straight to start the year in each of the last three seasons. Minnesota also is off to a 2-0-0 start after sweeping a non-conference series with Massachusetts last weekend at home. The Golden Gophers won 5-3 on Friday and completed the sweep of the Minutemen with a 5-4 win on Saturday. Last season, Minnesota finished with a record of 18-19-2 and a 12-14-2 mark in the WCHA, good for seventh place.
Last Week
The Mavericks had their most prolific night since the 2008-09 season, beating Clarkson in their regular season opener, 8-0. Matt Ambroz and Matt White each had two goals, and John Faulkner earned his first career shutout with 26 saves. In addition to White, Zahn Raubenheimer and Johnnie Searfoss scored their first collegiate goals. The Mavs then dispatched RIT, 5-3, in the second game of the Stampede. UNO got three goals in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit. Alex Hudson had the tying goal, and Joey Martin potted the winner. Rich Purslow scored into an empty net. Ambroz and Terry Broadhurst also tallied goals, and Faulkner made 23 saves to earn the win.
The Coaches
#Dean Blais# is in his second year as the head coach of the Mavericks. The 1973 graduate of Minnesota has posted a career record of 284-131-39 (.669) and guided the Mavericks to a mark of 20-16-6 in his first season. Blais is a two-time Spencer Penrose Memorial Award winner as the Division I coach of the year. He spent 10 years as head coach at North Dakota where he led the Fighting Sioux to national championships in 1997 and 2000. He is assisted by second-year associate head coach Mike Hastings and first-year assistant coach Mike Guentzel.
Don Lucia is in his 12th season at the helm of the Minnesota program. He is 276-145-47 in the Twin Cities and 555-300-76 all-time with stops at Colorado College, Alaska Anchorage and Alaska. The 1981 graduate of Notre Dame led the Gophers to back-to-back Frozen Four Championships in 2002 and 2003. He is assisted by John Hill and Grant Potulny.
Media
UNO hockey can be heard live on the Voice of UNO Athletics, KVNO, 90.7 FM. Dave Ahlers will call the play-by-play while Terry Leahy provides analysis for both UNO games this weekend. Coverage begins 37 minutes before game time. Live audio, streaming video and live stats are available at omavs.com. Both games will be televised live by Fox Sports North.
Up Next For the Mavericks
UNO steps back outside the conference to renew acquaintances with an old nemesis from their tenure in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, Michigan. The Mavericks and the Wolverines will square off on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 23 at 6:35 p.m. CT from Yost Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
