This Week
The Omaha hockey team resumes play in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference this weekend, hosting Colorado College on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena. These are the only two meetings of the season between the two teams.
The Teams
Omaha is 4-7-1 overall and 2-2-0-0/0 in the NCHC, good for sixth place. The Mavericks are coming off their first sweep of the season, beating then No. 16/14 Arizona State, 6-4 and 4-0. All time, the Mavericks are 15-8-4 against the Tigers including a mark of 8-2-2 at home. Last year, UNO went 2-1-1 against CC including a 1-0-1 record at Baxter Arena. The Mavericks are 3-3-0 at home this season and have won four of their last five games.
Colorado College is 5-6-1 overall and 1-5-0-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in a tie with North Dakota for seventh place. The Tigers are coming off a bye week, having last played on Nov. 16-17 against Miami in Colorado Springs. The two teams split the series which each winning by a goal. CC is 1-3-0 on the road this season.
Last Time Out
Mason Morelli had a goal and three assists, and
Fredrik Olofsson had two goals and an assist to lead the Mavericks to a 6-4 win in the opener of their series against Arizona State last Friday. With the game tied a three in the third, ASU forged ahead on a shorthanded goal from Dylan Hollman at 11:57. The Mavericks responded during the same power play, tying the game on a tally from
Taylor Ward. Olofsson then potted the game winner a little more than two minutes later, and
Steven Spinner added an empty netter in the final minute.
Travis Kothenbeutel also scored for UNO, and
Evan Weninger made 23 saves.
Weninger was the star of the rematch on Saturday, making 44 saves in a 4-0 shutout win. Morelli scored the game winner early in the first period and also scored an empty netter in the third.
Riley Alferd and Olofsson scored in the middle frame to help the Mavericks split the four-game season series with ASU.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his second season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 21-24-3 record all-time at his alma mater. 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 Omaha 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).
Mike Haviland is in his fifth season leading Colorado College. The 1990 graduate of Elmira is 40-102-14 in his career at CC. He is assisted by R.J. Enga (Colorado College, 1995) and Leon Hayward (Northeastern, 2002).
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 of both games is available on NCHC.tv, and audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks will finish the first half of the season at St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-8. Friday's game begins at 7:07 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 6:07 p.m. from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
