Weekly Release
Live Audio - 1180 The Zone 2
Streaming Video (Monday only)
This Week
The Mavericks' first week of the 2012-13 season is a busy one. They'll begin by hosting an exhibition game against Lethbridge on Monday, Oct. 8 at 7:07 p.m. Then for the second time in school history, they'll take part in the Icebreaker, Division I college hockey's traditional season opening tournament on Oct. 12 and 13 in Kansas City, Mo. The Mavs will play Army on Friday at 9 p.m. CT and then play either Maine or Notre Dame the following day.
Last Season
The Mavericks were 14-18-6 overall and 11-12-5 in the WCHA, good for seventh place last season. They finished the year losing six straight games, including three by one goal and two in overtime. UNO was eliminated by St. Cloud State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, two games to none.
The Opposition
This is the second time in the last four years that Omaha has played Lethbridge in the exhibition opener. The Mavs won, 2-1, back in 2009. The Pronghorns were 7-18-3 last season, finishing sixth in the Canada West Conference.
UNO's opponent in the opening round of the Icebreaker, Army, was 4-23-7 overall last year and 3-19-5 in the Atlantic Hockey Association, good for 11th place. The two teams have played six prior games with Army owning a 4-2-0 series advantage. The Mavs have won the last two meetings.
Omaha will play either Maine or Notre Dame on Saturday at the Icebreaker. The Black Bears were 23-14-3 last season and finished in fourth place in Hockey East with a record of 15-10-2. Maine leads the all-time series, 3-1-0, but the two teams have not met since the 1998-99 season, UNO's second season of hockey.
The Mavericks and Fighting Irish are old foes when both teams were in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Irish were 19-18-3 last season and 12-13-3-0 in CCHA play, finishing in a tie for eighth. Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 17-10-4, and has lost to the Mavs just once in the last 10 meetings.
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 317-165-45 (.644) and has guided the Mavericks to a mark of 55-50-14 (.521).
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.
Media
All three games 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 pre-game show 30 minutes before game time. Streaming audio, video (Lethbridge game only) and live stats are available at OMavs.com. Both Friday games of the Icebreaker will air on NBC Sports Network which also will carry the championship game on Saturday. Dave Strader and Pierre McGuire will have the call.
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks return home to host former CCHA rival Northern Michigan on Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m. and Saturday's game at 7:07 p.m. at the CenturyLink Center.
