This Week
Bending but not breaking under the weight of a worldwide pandemic, the Omaha hockey team and the other seven members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference embark on the eighth season of play beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1. Through both necessity and ingenuity, the season begins with a 38-game pod hosted by the Mavericks at Baxter Arena with nearly each team playing 10 games in a three-week span.
The Mavericks start pod play with their busiest week, playing four games in six days. They'll begin with the first game of the pod, a matchup with Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 1 at 3:35 p.m. CT. UNO is the designated home team. Other games this week include a matchup with Western Michigan on Thursday, Dec. 3, Miami on Saturday, Dec. 5 and St. Cloud State on Sunday, Dec. 6.
The Teams
Omaha was 14-17-5 overall and 8-13-3-0/0 in the NCHC in 2019-20, good for sixth place. The Mavericks earned five more wins overall and three more in conference play from the prior season. They were poised to face Denver in the first round of the NCHC playoffs when the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season. Last season, the Mavericks were 0-4-0 against Minnesota Duluth and are 11-25-3 all-time against the Bulldogs. That includes a mark of 8-11-0 on home ice. The full series history can be found on page six of this release.
Last season, Minnesota Duluth was 22-10-2 overall and 17-5-2-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it second. The Bulldogs were on course to host Miami in the first round of the NCHC playoffs. Last season, UMD was 11-6-0 in road games including a 2-0-0 record at Baxter Arena.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his fourth season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 40-58-10 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).
Scott Sandelin is in his 21st season leading Minnesota Duluth. The 1986 graduate of North Dakota has compiled a record of 391-321-89 and three National Championships at UMD. He is assisted by Adam Krause (UMD, 2015) and Brant Nicklin (UMD, 2006).
Media
All Omaha 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 with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show.
Streaming video is available on NCHC.tv. Midco Sports Network will produce all 38 games in the pod for digital distribution. Ben Holden and Dave Starman of CBS Sports Network will lend their voices to MidcoSN's coverage starting with the Mavericks' opener against UMD.
Live audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks will take on Western Michigan in the first of two meetings in the pod on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7:35 p.m. Omaha is the designated away team for this contest.
