This Week
The Omaha hockey team opens the NCHC schedule at home on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2-3 when it hosts No. 20 Miami. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
The Teams
Omaha is 0-5-1 overall following a pair of losses at Arizona State last weekend. All time, the Mavericks are 17-20-6 against the RedHawks including a mark of 10-9-1 at home. Last season, the Mavericks earned an 11-7 and 4-3 win over Miami in Omaha in the only meetings of the season. The Mavericks are unbeaten in their last six games against Miami (5-0-1). They are 0-2-0 at home this season.
Miami is 6-2-0 this season and is coming off a sweep of visiting Colgate last weekend, winning 4-1 and 6-0. The RedHawks have not played a true road game this season with neutral site games in the 2018 Icebreaker against Providence and Mercyhurst the only contests away from Steve Cady Arena. Last year, Miami was 4-11-4 away from home.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks were swept for the second straight weekend, losing at Arizona State, 6-3 and 7-2. On Friday, the Sun Devils broke open a close game with three third-period goals to earn the victory.
Zach Jordan,
Tristan Keck and
Dean Stewart each had a goal and an assist.
Evan Weninger made 34 saves.
The following night, the Mavericks got behind 4-0 before
Taylor Ward got the Mavericks on the board in the second period.
Mason Morelli added a goal later in the frame to make it 5-2 after two. ASU added a pair of goals in the third period for the final tally. Weninger made 40 saves in just over 45 minutes of work.
Matej Tomek stopped all six shots he faced in nearly 15 minutes of relief.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his second season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 17-22-3 record last season. The 2004 graduate of Omaha served as an associate head coach during the 2016-17 season before being elevated to the head coach position last season.
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
Paul Jerrard (Lake Superior State, 1987).
Enrico Blasi is in his 20th season as head coach at Miami. The 1994 graduate of MU is 393-290-72 at his alma mater. He is assisted by Peter Mannino and Joel Beal.
Media
Friday's game will be televised statewide on NET, Nebraska's PBS.
Dave Ahlers will call the game, former Maverick David Brisson will have the analysis, and Larry Punteney reports.
Both games also can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Donny Baarns will have the play-by-play on Friday while Ahlers will handle the duty 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 both games is available on NCHC.tv, and audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks hit the road for the third time this season, visiting Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10. Both games begin at 6:05 p.m. CT from Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.
