This Week
The No. 19/15 Omaha hockey team takes on No. 12/11 Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 26-27. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena. The two games mark the conclusion of the four-game season series.
The Teams
Omaha is 12-11-1 this season and 5-9-0-0/0 in the NCHC, tying it with Colorado College for sixth place. The Mavericks are coming off a pair of losses at Denver last weekend. The Mavericks are 8-3-1 at home this season including a mark of 3-3-0 in conference games. All time, UNO is 22-17-6 against the Broncos including a record of 12-6-2 at home. The Mavericks lost to Western Michigan, 4-1 and 5-2, in the first two meetings of the year in November in Kalamazoo, Mich. and now have lost four straight to the Broncos dating back to last year's NCHC Playoffs. UNO is 6-4-0 in its last 10 games.
Western Michigan is 13-10-1 overall and 8-6-0-0/0 in the conference, putting it in third place. The Broncos are coming off a split at home with Colorado College last weekend. They won 3-2 in overtime on Friday before losing to the Tigers 6-5 in overtime the following night. WMU is 3-6-0 on the road this season including a mark of 2-4-0 in conference games. The Broncos are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games.
Last Time Out
Omaha was swept for the third time this season, losing to Denver 5-0 and 4-0 in Denver, Colo. last weekend. On Friday, the Pioneers broke open a close game with three goals in the third period. They finished the game with three power play tallies and 48 shots on goal.
Evan Weninger made a season-high 43 saves in the loss.
On Saturday, the Pioneers again held a 2-0 lead into the third period and scored twice more to win, 4-0. Weninger had 25 saves for the Mavericks who hit a crossbar and two posts in the game. The two wins extended Denver's winning streak over Omaha to 12 games.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his first season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 12-11-1 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).
Andy Murray is in his seventh season as head coach at Western Michigan. The 1972 graduate of Brandon is 116-107-33 during his time in Kalamazoo. He is assisted by Dave Shyiak and Todd Krygier.
Media
Friday's game will be carried statewide on NET.
Dave Ahlers will call the game, former Maverick
David Brisson provides analysis and Larry Punteney reports. On Saturday, the game will be shown on YurView (Cox channel 13/1013 in Omaha) with Donny Baarns as studio host.
Both games also can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Baarns will have the play-by-play on Friday while Ahlers will have the call on Saturday. 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 of the games can be found on NCHC.tv with audio and stat links at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks return to the road, visiting St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 2-3. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m. from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
