This Week
The Omaha hockey team returns from its final bye week of the regular season to host No. 1 St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22-23. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
The Teams
Omaha is 9-17-2 overall and 5-12-1-0/1 in the NCHC, putting it in seventh place. The Mavericks last played on Feb. 8-9, splitting a pair of games with Miami. The Mavericks shutout the RedHawks, 3-0, before losing the rematch, 4-2. All time, the Mavericks are 10-22-2 against St. Cloud State including a mark of 6-7-1 in Omaha. The Mavericks are 7-6-1 at home this year, 3-7-0 in the last 10 games and 1-9-0 in their last 10 against the Huskies.
St. Cloud State is 21-4-3 overall and 13-2-3-1/1 in the NCHC, putting it in first place. Like the Mavericks, the Huskies were off last week. They haven't played since Feb. 8-9 when they hosted Colorado College. SCSU tied CC the first night, 2-2, before winning the three-on-three overtime. The next night, the Huskies won, 5-4, in overtime. SCSU is 7-3-2 in road games this season and 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks split their road series at Miami two weekends ago. On Friday,
Evan Weninger made 38 saves, and
Ryan Galt had a goal and an assist to power the Mavericks to a 3-0 win.
Teemu Pulkkinen opened the scoring with a power play goal, off Galt's assist, at 6:10 of the second. Galt scored at 4:21 of the third, and
Mason Morelli scored an empty netter at 19:33.
On Saturday, the RedHawks built a 2-0 lead after one and stretched it to 3-0 midway through the second before the Mavericks battled back.
Chayse Primeau scored off the rush at 10:42, and
Jalen Schulz got his first of the year at 14:35 to put the Mavericks down 3-2 after two. Miami's Josh Melnick squelched UNO's comeback hopes with a goal at 16:16 of the third to finish the scoring. Weninger made 22 saves.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his second season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 26-34-4 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).
Brett Larson is in his first season as the head coach at St. Cloud State. The 2004 graduate of Minnesota Duluth is 21-4-3 in his brief head coaching career. 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.
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 is available on NCHC.tv, and audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks will finish their home schedule by hosting Denver on Friday and Saturday, March 1-2. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m.
