This Week
The Omaha hockey team stages its first home series of the new year when it welcomes No. 20 North Dakota on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18-19. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
The Teams
Omaha is 6-12-2 overall and 2-7-1-0/1 in the NCHC, good for seventh place. The Mavericks are coming off a pair of one-goal losses at No. 3 Denver last weekend. All time, the Mavericks are 10-19-1 against North Dakota including a mark of 4-10-0 at home and 1-5-0 at Baxter Arena. The Mavericks are 5-4-1 at home this year and 4-5-1 in the last 10 games.
North Dakota is 11-9-1 overall and 5-5-0-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in fifth place. The Fighting Hawks posted a pair of overtime wins over visiting Colorado College last weekend, winning 4-3 and 3-2. UND is 2-5-0 on the road this season and 6-4-0 in its last 10 games.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks had two tight games at No. 3 Denver last week, losing 1-0 and 3-2 in overtime. On Friday, DU's Jarid Lukosevicius scored the game's only goal late in the second period, and the Pioneers made it stand up. The Mavericks had several opportunities to tie it in the third thanks to three power plays, but they could not net the equalizer.
Evan Weninger made 33 saves.
In the finale, the Mavericks snapped a scoreless streak of more than 305 minutes against DU when
Mason Morelli tallied at 9:58 of the second period. Denver's Liam Finlay responded on a power play at 12:55, but
Zach Jordan restored the lead with a power play goal at 17:05 of the stanza. The Pioneers retied the game with 81 seconds remaining in regulation and then got the winner 55 seconds into overtime. Weninger was again busy with 39 saves.
Fredrik Olofsson assisted on both UNO goals.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his second season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 23-29-4 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).
Brad Berry is in his fourth year as the head coach at North Dakota. The 2002 graduate of UND is 83-44-18 in his career at his alma mater. He is assisted by Dane Jackson (North Dakota, 1992) and Matt Shaw (Colorado College, 1989).
Media
Both games can be seen live on Cox YurView in Omaha (channel 1013) and on Midco Sports Network.
Dave Ahlers will call the game, and former Maverick standout David Brisson will have the analysis.
Both games also can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Donny Baarns 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 is available on NCHC.tv, and audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks are back on the road to face defending national champion Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25 and 26. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn.
