This Week
    No. 15 Omaha was scheduled to travel to North Dakota this week until COVID-19 protocols at UND led to the postponement of the series. The NCHC changed its slate, sending the Mavericks to No. 6 Denver instead.

The Teams
    Omaha matched its victory total from each of the past two seasons when it notched win No. 14 at St. Lawrence 5-0 on New Year's Day. The Mavericks, who tied their program record for nonconference wins (10) that day, haven't played since. Their originally scheduled series with Denver was postponed last week.
    Denver has been on a hot streak since it dropped four consecutive games early in the season. The Pioneers have gone 8-1-1 in their past 10 games, scoring four or more goals in nine of those outings. Like Omaha, Denver hasn't played since New Year's Day, when it skated to a 4-4 tie with Alaska at Magness Arena. 

The Coaches
    Mike Gabinet is in his fifth season as head coach of the Maverick and has posted a 68-75-11 record at his alma mater. The 2004 Omaha graduate 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 the North Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Alberta, the last as its head coach. That season, he led the Ooks to a 36-0-0 record and the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference 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).
    David Carle (Denver, 2012) became the youngest head coach in college hockey when he took over the DU program at age 28 in 2018. He was an assistant for the Pioneers before, helping them to the 2017 NCAA title. 

Media
    Both games can be heard live on 1180 The Zone. Casey Roehl will handle the play-by-play duties while Terry Leahy provides analysis. Coverage begins with the FNBO Pregame Show.
    Live video is available on NCHC.tv while audio and stat links are available at OMavs.com.

Series History: Omaha vs. Denver
    The Omaha-Denver series dates back to the early days of Maverick hockey. The Pioneers were the fourth team Omaha played in its inaugural season in 1997, and the Mavericks swept their series with Denver. 
    It was a rare weekend of success as the Pioneers have dominated the all-time series between the two teams. Omaha's 5-2 home win over Denver last January ended a 19-game winless streak against DU that lasted five years. The Mavericks also won in overtime at DU in February, their first win in Denver since 2013.