This Week
The Omaha hockey team returns from the holiday break with a non-conference series against Union of ECAC Hockey on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 29-30. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
The Teams
Omaha is 7-8-1 this season and 2-6-0-0/0 in the NCHC, good for eighth place. The Mavericks haven't played since splitting a series with visiting Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 8-9. The Mavericks are 4-3-1 at home this season including a mark of 3-0-1 in non-conference games. All time, UNO is 3-2-0 against the Dutchmen including a record of 2-1-0 at home. The Mavericks last played Union in the Mutual of Omaha Stampede at the then-Qwest Center Omaha on Oct. 18, 2008.
Union is 10-8-1 overall and 6-2-0 in the ECAC, putting it in second place. The Dutchmen last played on Dec. 9-10, beating visiting Holy Cross, 4-2, before dropping a 2-1 decision to UMass. This season, Union is 5-2-1 in true road games, including a mark of 3-1-1 in non-conference road games.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks split two games with Minnesota Duluth at Baxter Arena on Dec. 8-9, their last weekend of action. On Friday,
Zach Jordan had his first career hat trick, and
David Pope added two goals as the Mavericks outlasted the Bulldogs, 7-5.
Jalen Schulz and
Luke Nogard also scored as 13 out of the 20 players to play scored points.
Alex Blankenburg earned his first win of the year with 21 saves and two goals against in two periods of work.
On Saturday, UMD broke open a close game with three goals in the second period and pulled away for a 6-2 win.
Steven Spinner and
Mason Morelli had UNO's goals, and Blankenburg, in his first start of the season, made 20 saves and allowed all six goals in the loss.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his first season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 7-8-1 record. The 2004 graduate of Omaha served as an associate head coach under
Dean Blais last season and was elevated to the head coach position following Blais' departure after eight years at the helm.
Gabinet returned to his alma mater after four seasons at NAIT in Edmonton, Alberta, the last as its head coach. That season, he led the Ooks to a 36-0-0 record and the ACAC Championship. He was named the conference Coach of the Year and became the first rookie head coach in Canadian college hockey to guide his team to an undefeated record.
Gabinet, a standout defenseman for the Mavericks from 2000-04, is assisted by
Dave Noel-Bernier (Omaha, 2001) and
Peter Mannino (Denver, 2008).
Rick Bennett is in his seventh season as the head coach at Union, having led the Dutchmen to a national championship in 2014. The 1990 graduate of Providence College is 147-77-31 all-time in Schenectady, N.Y. He is assisted by Jason Tapp and John Ronan.
Media
Both games can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2.
Dave Ahlers will have the play-by-play, Terry Leahy provides analysis and Lester St. James reports both nights. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show.
Live video can be found on NCHC.tv while audio and stat links can be found at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks resume NCHC play on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 5-6, when they visit North Dakota. Friday's game starts at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's contest begins at 7:07 p.m. at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
