This Week
The Omaha hockey team begins the second half of its NCHC schedule, traveling to No. 1 North Dakota for games on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m. from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
The Teams
Omaha is 8-9-3 overall and 2-5-1-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in a tie with Colorado College for seventh place. The Mavericks are coming off a tie and a loss at Maine on Jan. 3-4. UNO is 11-22-1 all-time against the Fighting Hawks including a record of 6-11-1 in Grand Forks. Last season, the Mavericks went 1-3-0 against UND including a mark of 0-2-0 at REA. This season, the Mavericks are 4-4-2 away from home and 2-6-2 in their last 10 games.
North Dakota is 16-1-2 this season and 7-0-1-1/0 in the NCHC, putting it in first place. The Fighting Hawks are coming off a pair of 5-2 wins at home against Alabama Huntsville last weekend. UND is 11-0-0 at home this year and has won 13 straight at Engelstad Arena going back to last year. The Fighting Hawks are 9-0-1 in their last 10 games.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks opened 2020 with a tie and a loss at Maine of Hockey East in the first meetings between the two programs in almost 22 years. On Friday, the Mavericks built two one-goal leads, only to see the Black Bears tie it each time.
Kevin Conley and
Ryan Brushett scored for the Mavericks while
Austin Roden made 46 saves in goal.
In Saturday's rematch in Portland, Maine, Eduards Tralmaks scored with 2:44 remaining in regulation to give the Black Bears a 3-2 win.
John Schuldt opened the scoring in the first, and
Tristan Keck scored late in the second to tie the game. Roden had 24 saves.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his third season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 34-50-8 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).
Brad Berry is in his fifth season as the head coach at North Dakota. The 2002 graduate of UND is 106-53-21 at his alma mater. He is assisted by Dane Jackson (North Dakota, 1992) and Karl Goehring (North Dakota, 2000).
Media
Both games can be seen live on Cox Yurview channel 1013 in Omaha. Alex Heinert will call the game, and Jake Brandt will provide color commentary.
Both games also 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.
Streaming video is available on NCHC.tv. Live audio and stat links for both games also are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks are back home to host No. 5 Denver on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17-18. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
