This Week
The Omaha hockey team continues its four-game stretch away from home when it visits Alaska Anchorage of the WCHA on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 31-Nov 1. Both games begin at 10:07 p.m. CT from the Seawolf Sports Complex in Anchorage, Alaska.
The Teams
Omaha is 3-1-0 following a split with Ohio State on Oct. 18-19 in Columbus, Ohio. The Mavericks are 1-1-0 on the road this season. UNO is 8-2-1 all-time against Alaska Anchorage including a record of 3-1-1 in Anchorage. The Mavericks have won seven straight against the Seawolves including 3-0 and 4-0 wins in Omaha last December.
Alaska Anchorage is 1-3-0 overall and 1-1-0-0/0 in the WCHA, putting it in a tie for fourth place. The Seawolves are coming off a split at home with Governor's Cup rival Alaska last weekend. Alaska won 2-1 in the opener, but the Seawolves bounced back with a 4-0 win the following night. UAA is playing its home games on campus this season after playing off campus at Sullivan Arena for decades. Last season, the Seawolves were 1-12-3 at home.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks are coming off a bye week that followed a split at then No. 12/13 Ohio State on Oct. 18-19. In the series opener, the Buckeyes scored three power play goals to beat the Mavericks 3-2, snapping a five-game losing streak head-to-head.
Kevin Conley scored a power play goal, and
Ryan Jones scored even strength for the Mavericks, and
Isaiah Saville made 24 saves.
The next night,
Joey Abate scored midway through the third period to push the Mavericks past the Buckeyes, 2-1.
Taylor Ward also scored for Omaha, and Saville was sharp in goal with 37 saves, helping the Mavericks stop all five OSU power plays.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his third season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 29-42-5 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 in 2017-18.
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).
Matt Curley is in his second season as the head coach of Alaska Anchorage. The 2007 graduate of Clarkson is 4-31-3 in his time at UAA. He is assisted by Mark Phalon (SUNY-Potsdam, 2007) and Omaha native Matt Bruneteau (Lake Superior State, 2014).
Media
Both games can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Donny Baarns 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 is available on FloHockey.tv while audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks will return home for their next series, games against No. 7/8 Wisconsin of the Big Ten, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9. Both games will begin at 7:07 p.m.
