Weekly Release
Live Audio
Streaming Video
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This Week
The UNO Mavericks kick off the second half of their WCHA schedule by hosting the No. 1 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13 and 14. Friday's game begins at 6:37 p.m. due to national TV coverage on NBC Sports Network while Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m.
The Teams
The Mavericks are 10-8-4 overall and 7-4-3 in the WCHA, putting them in fourth place with 17 points, one behind third-place Colorado College and two ahead of fifth-place Denver. UNO is 2-5-0 all-time against Minnesota Duluth after splitting a pair of games last season. These will be the first meetings between the two schools in Omaha since 2001. The Mavericks are 6-2-2 at home this season.
The Bulldogs are 14-3-3 overall and 10-2-2 in the WCHA, putting them in a tie for first with Minnesota. UMD is coming off 4-1 and 5-2 wins at Western Michigan last weekend. They are 2-1-0 all-time in Omaha although these will be their first games at the CenturyLink Center.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks finished 2011 with a tie and a win against Quinnipiac of ECAC Hockey on Dec. 30 and 31. In the opener, UNO twice fought back from one-goal deficits to earn a 2-2 tie with the Bobcats.
Brent Gwidt and
Ryan Walters had the goals for the Mavericks, and
John Faulkner stopped 20 shots in goal.
On Saturday,
Jayson Megna scored an early powerplay goal to put the Mavs up 1-0 before Quinnipiac's Zach Currie tied the game on the power play later in the first. Gwidt restored the one-goal lead with his second tally of the weekend late in the opening stanza. Matt White added a shorthanded goal late in the second, and
Johnnie Searfoss iced the game with an empty netter in the closing minutes of the third.
Ryan Massa made 25 saves to pick up the win for UNO.
The Coaches
Dean Blais is in his third year as the head coach of the Mavericks, having led UNO to back-to-back 20-win campaigns. The 1973 graduate of Minnesota has posted a career record of 313-155-43 (.655) and has guided the Mavericks to a mark of 51-40-10 (.554). In 2010-11, he was named the WCHA Coach of the Year, the fourth time he's earned the honor. He recently completed his second stint as the head coach of the U.S. World Junior Team at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.
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 UND to national championships in 1997 and 2000. He is assisted by third-year associate head coach Mike Hastings and first-year assistant coach Brian Renfrew who joins the UNO staff after eight seasons at Michigan State.
Scott Sandelin is in his 12th year as the head coach at Minnesota Duluth. The 1986 graduate of North Dakota is 206-203-55 in Duluth. The former assistant coach for Blais at North Dakota is assisted himself by Derek Plante and Jason Herter.
Media
Both UNO games will air on TV this week. Friday's game will be seen nationwide on NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus). Gord Miller and Mike Greenlay will have the call. Saturday's game will air statewide on
NET-1 and NET HD, Nebraska Public Television, with
Dave Ahlers and former Maverick Kendall Sidoruk calling the action. On radio, both games also can be heard live on 96.1 The Brew. Ahlers will call the play-by-play on Friday while Frank Adkisson will have the action on Saturday. Terry Leahy will provide analysis both nights. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time online at UNO's IHeart Radio channel, “Mavericks Radio.” Streaming audio, video and live stats are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks are back on the road next weekend when they visit Minnesota State on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 20 and 21. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's tilt stats at 7:07 p.m. from the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato, Minn.
