This Week
The Omaha hockey team plays its first NCHC road series when it visits Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10. Both games begin at 6:05 p.m. CT from Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Teams
Omaha is 1-6-1 overall and 1-1-0-0/0 in the NCHC, good for a tie for third place. The Mavericks are coming off a split with Miami last weekend at home, losing 4-1 before winning, 6-3. All time, the Mavericks are 24-17-6 against the Broncos including a mark of 10-11-4 in Kalamazoo. Last season, the Mavericks split the four-game season series with WMU, losing 4-1 and 5-2 at Lawson Arena in November before taking both games at home in January. The Mavericks are 0-3-1 on the road this season.
Western Michigan is 3-5-0 this season and 0-2-0-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in a tie for fifth. The Broncos lost both games of their NCHC season-opening series at Denver last weekend, 5-2 and 4-3 in overtime. Western Michigan, picked to finish fourth in the NCHC preseason poll, is 2-1-0 at home this season.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks split their first NCHC series of the year, losing to Miami 4-1 before coming back with a 6-3 win in the finale for their first win of the season. On Friday,
Taylor Ward had Omaha's only goal in the loss.
Evan Weninger made 27 saves.
The next night, the Mavericks got goals from six different players in the win. After falling behind 2-0, Ward scored in the first, and
Fredrik Olofsson,
Kevin Conley and
Chayse Primeau all tallied power play goals in the second to put UNO up, 4-2. Miami got one back early in the third, but the Mavericks pulled away with goals from
Tristan Keck and
Mason Morelli. Weninger made 20 saves.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his second season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting an 18-23-3 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).
Andy Murray is in his eight season as head coach at Western Michigan. The 1972 graduate of Brandon is 121-121-34 during his time in Kalamazoo. He is assisted by Dave Shyiak (Northern Michigan, 1991) and Todd Krygier (Connecticut, 1988).
Media
Both games also can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2.
Dave Ahlers will have the play-by-play, and Terry Leahy provides analysis 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 have a week off before returning home to host Arizona State on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23-24. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
