This Week
The No. 14 Omaha hockey team plays its final home series of the regular season this weekend when it hosts Colorado College on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
The Teams
Omaha is 15-14-1 this season and 8-12-0-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in seventh place. The Mavericks split their series with visiting North Dakota last weekend. The Mavericks are 11-4-1 at home this season including a mark of 6-4-0 in conference games. All time, UNO is 14-8-3 against the Tigers including a record of 7-2-1 in Omaha. The Mavericks split with CC in Colorado Springs in November, winning 5-3 and losing 4-0. UNO is 5-5-0 in its last 10 games.
Colorado College is 13-13-4 overall and 7-10-3-2/0 in the conference, putting it two points ahead of the Mavericks in sixth place. The Tigers split with Denver last weekend in a home-and-home series. They lost the opener, 5-1, at home before coming back for a 1-0 victory at DU. CC is 6-8-1 on the road this year including a mark of 4-5-1 in conference games. The Tigers are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.
Last Time Out
Omaha split a pair of home games with North Dakota to finish that four-game season series 2-2-0. On Friday, the Mavericks erased 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to win 6-3.
Tyler Vesel,
Ryan Galt and
Zach Jordan each had a goal and an assist, and
Joel Messner and
Jake Randolph added two assists apiece. The game turned in the second period when they Mavericks outscored UND 4-1 with three goals coming on the power play.
Evan Weninger made 38 saves.
The next night, UND got a goal from Shane Gersich midway through the second period for all the offense it would need in a 3-0 win. Johnny Simonson and Rhett Gardner (empty net) added goals in the third period. Weninger made 34 saves in the loss.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his first season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 15-14-1 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).
Mike Haviland is in his fourth season as head coach at Colorado College. The 1990 graduate of Elmira is 33-92-12 during his time in Colorado Springs. He is assisted by R.J. Enga and Leon Hayward.
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. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show.
Live video of both games can be found on NCHC.tv with audio and stat links available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks will conclude the regular season at Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday, March 2-3. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from AMSOIL Arena.
