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This Week
The Mavericks begin the 28-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule this weekend when they host Bemidji State on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m. from the CenturyLink Center Omaha. This is the first of two weekends between the two rivalry partners as UNO returns the favor with a trip to Bemidji, Minn. on Jan. 25 and 26.
The Teams
The Mavericks are 2-2-0 overall after splitting a pair of non-conference games with Northern Michigan at home last weekend. The Mavs trail the all-time series with the Beavers, 6-7-3, but the series in Omaha is tied 5-5-2. UNO was 1-1-2 against BSU last year including a mark of 0-1-1 at home. The Mavs are 1-6-3 against Bemidji State in the last 10 games.
Bemidji State (1-1-0) opened regular season play last weekend, splitting a pair of home games with Lake Superior State. Last season, the Beavers were 17-18-3 overall and 11-14-3 in the WCHA, good for ninth place. They were picked to finish 11th this season in both the coaches and media preseason polls.
Last Time Out
Omaha split a pair of games with former CCHA neighbor Northern Michigan last weekend at the CenturyLink Center. The Mavericks won 5-2 on Friday night before dropping a 2-1 decision on Saturday.
In the opener, the Mavs raced out to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by
Brock Montpetit and
Michael Young.
Brent Gwidt's shorthanded breakaway goal made it 3-0 before Northern closed the gap to 3-1. Matt White restored the three-goal lead before the second period expired, and
Andrej Sustr made it 5-1 in the third before the Wildcats closed the scoring on Reed Seckel's goal at 13:12.
John Faulkner made 11 saves to earn the win as the Mavericks outshot NMU, 41-13.
The following night, Northern opened a 2-0 lead on a first-period goal from Ryan Daugherty and a second period tally from Ryan Aynsley. Sixty-one seconds after Aynsley's goal,
Josh Archibald scored his first of the year to make it 2-1, but the Mavericks could get no closer in spite of finishing with a 36-23 shot edge including a 16-6 advantage in the third. Anthony Stolarz took the loss for UNO with 21 saves.
The Coaches
Dean Blais is in his fourth year as the head coach of the Mavericks, having led UNO to two 20-win campaigns in that time. The 1973 graduate of Minnesota has posted a career record of 319-167-45 (.643) and has guided the Mavericks to a mark of 57-52-14 (.520).
Blais is a two-time Spencer Penrose Memorial Award winner as the Division I coach of the year and a four-time winner of the WCHA's Coach of the Year Award. 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 first-year assistant coaches
Steve Johnson and Troy Jutting who both have extensive coaching experience in the WCHA, Johnson as an assistant at St. Cloud State and Jutting as the head coach and an assistant at Minnesota State.
Tom Serratore is in his 12th season as the head coach at Bemidji state. The 1987 graduate of BSU is 196-168-45 during his time at his alma mater. He is assisted by Bert Gilling and Ted Belisle.
Media
Both games of this weekend's series can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2, the new home of Maverick hockey on the radio.
Dave Ahlers will have the play-by-play, and Terry Leahy will provide analysis. Coverage begins with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show 30 minutes before game time. Streaming audio, video through America One and live stats are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks play their first road games of the 2012-13 season when they visit Michigan Tech on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 and 3. The games begin at 7:07 p.m. ET each night.
