This Week
The Omaha hockey team returns to NCHC play this weekend, visiting No. 3/4 Denver on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11-12. Friday's game begins at 8:38 p.m. CT, and Saturday's game starts at 8:07 p.m. CT from Magness Arena in Denver, Colo.
The Teams
Omaha is 6-10-2 overall and 2-5-1-0/1 in the NCHC, good for seventh place. The Mavericks are coming off their second sweep of the season, beating Alaska Anchorage, 3-0 and 4-0, on Dec. 29 and 31. All time, the Mavericks are 9-27-2 against Denver including a mark of 2-16-2 in Denver. The Mavericks are 1-6-1 on the road this year and 5-4-1 in the last 10 games.
Denver is 12-4-2 overall and 4-4-0-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in a tie with Miami for fourth place. The Pioneers are coming off a sweep at Wisconsin last weekend, winning 6-3 and 4-3 in overtime. DU is 6-1-2 at home this season and 7-2-1 in its last 10 games. The Pioneers have won five straight games.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks posted their first back-to-back shutouts in almost 17 years, beating visiting Alaska Anchorage, 3-0 and 4-0, at the end of December. In the series opener, the Mavericks broke open a scoreless game with three goals in the final 10 minutes to earn the win.
Tristan Keck opened the scoring at 10:56 of the third, and
Dean Stewart tallied less than 2:30 later.
Mason Morelli scored into an empty net at 17:38 to close the scoring.
Evan Weninger made 20 saves in the win.
In the finale, Keck again opened the scoring with a goal at 10:46 of the first, giving the Mavericks the only goal they would need. Morelli and
Ryan Galt both scored power play goals in the second period to extend the lead, and Morelli again would close the scoring with his second power play goal in the third. Weninger made another 20 saves to earn the shutout.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his second season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 23-27-4 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).
David Carle is in his first season as the head coach at Denver. The 2012 graduate of DU is 12-4-2 at his alma mater. He is assisted by Tavis MacMillan (Alaska, 1994) and Dallas Ferguson (Alaska, 1996).
Media
Friday's game can be seen live nationally on CBS Sports Network. Dan Kelly will call the game, and Pat Micheletti will have the analysis.
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. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show.
Live video of Saturday's game is available on NCHC.tv, and audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks return home to host North Dakota on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18 and 19. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. and can be seen live on YurView (Cox channel 1013).
