This Week
The Omaha hockey team plays its last road series of 2019 when it visits St. Cloud State for a pair of NCHC games on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 6:07 p.m. from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
The Teams
Omaha is 6-6-2 overall and 1-4-1-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in eighth place. The Mavericks are coming off a pair of losses to Minnesota Duluth last weekend at Baxter Arena. UNO is 10-24-2 all-time against St. Cloud State including a record of 4-15-1 in St. Cloud. Last season, the Mavericks were 0-4-0 against the Huskies including 2-0 and 7-1 losses on the road. So far, the Mavericks are 3-2-1 away from home and 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
St. Cloud State is 4-6-4 overall and 2-4-0-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in a tie with Denver for sixth place. The Huskies picked up 2-1 and 5-3 win at Miami last weekend. SCSU is 1-4-1 at home this year including a pair of losses to Colorado College on Nov. 15-16 in its only conference series. The Huskies are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks were swept by Minnesota Duluth at home last weekend. On Friday, UMD used a four-goal third period to pull away for a 6-3 win.
Teemu Pulkkinen,
Joey Abate and
Dean Stewart all scored for the Mavericks while both Noah Cates and Cole Koepke had a pair of goals each for the Bulldogs.
Isaiah Saville made 25 saves for the Mavericks.
The following night, the Mavericks again battled from behind but were unable to tie it late in a 4-3 loss to the defending national champs. Abate,
Zach Jordan and
Taylor Ward all scored for UNO. Saville started the game and made 13 saves on 16 shots.
Austin Roden took the loss, making 15 saves on 16 shots in relief.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his third season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 32-47-7 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).
Brett Larson is in his second season as head coach at St. Cloud State. The 2004 graduate of Minnesota Duluth is 34-12-7 all-time at SCSU. He is assisted by Mike Gibbons (Bemidji State, 1981) and Nick Oliver (St. Cloud State, 2015).
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 NCHC.tv while live audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com. Friday's game also is available on Fox Sports North+.
Up Next
The Mavericks finish out 2019 by hosting Arizona State in a non-conference series on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21-22. Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m., and Sunday's game starts at 4:07 p.m. at Baxter Arena.
