This Week
The Omaha hockey team takes to the road to conclude its four-game season series with No. 6/7 Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7-8. Both games against the two-time defending national champions begin at 7:07 p.m. from AMSOIL Arena.
The Teams
Omaha is 12-11-5 overall and 6-7-3-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in a tie with St. Cloud State for fifth place. The Mavericks are coming off a split with Western Michigan last weekend. UNO is 11-23-3 all-time against the Bulldogs including a record of 3-12-3 in Duluth. In December, the Mavericks dropped two games to UMD at home, marking the only time they've been swept this season. This season, the Mavericks are 7-5-2 on the road and 4-3-3 in their last 10 games.
Minnesota Duluth is 15-9-2 this season and 10-4-2-0/0 in the NCHC, putting it in second place. The Bulldogs are coming off 3-2 and 4-1 wins at Denver last weekend. UMD is 7-4-2 at home this year and 6-3-1 in its last 10 games. The Bulldogs have won seven straight against the Mavericks.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks split a pair of game with Western Michigan last weekend at home. On Friday, the Broncos built a 3-0 lead and held off a Maverick rally in the third to win, 5-2.
Kevin Conley and
Nolan Sullivan scored for the Mavericks while Wade Allison had a pair for WMU.
Isaiah Saville stopped 35 shots for the Mavericks.
On Saturday, the Mavericks topped the Broncos, 4-2, behind a hat trick from
Taylor Ward. UNO erased an early 1-0 deficit with goals from
Nolan Sullivan and Ward to lead 2-1 after two. The Broncos tied the game early in the third, but Ward netted the game winner late and iced it with an empty netter in the final minute. Saville made 24 saves to pick up his ninth win of the year.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is in his third season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 38-52-10 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, the Dean of NCHC coaches, is in his 20th season leading Minnesota Duluth. The 1986 graduate of North Dakota is 384-320-89 leading the Bulldogs, a resume that includes three national championships. He is assisted by Jason Herter (North Dakota, 2005) and Adam Krause (Minnesota Duluth, 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.
Streaming video is available on NCHC.tv. Live audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks have a week off before hosting Colorado College on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22. Both games start at 7:07 p.m. from Baxter Arena.
