This Week
The Omaha Mavericks head to Duluth, Minnesota to take on the No. 20 University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs for their first road series of conference play for the 2022-23 campaign.
The Teams
The Mavericks are sitting at 4-4-2 after opening up NCHC play against UND last weekend. Omaha has played four of their five non-conference opponents so far this season and are looking to build off a big shootout victory against the Fighting Hawks last Saturday night.
Minnesota Duluth sits at No. 20 in the country currently. They enter this weekend at 5-5-0. UMD skated to a series split with Colorado College last weekend in Colorado Springs.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks battled to two hard fought points and a tie last Saturday night against North Dakota after taking the extra point in a shootout.
The Coaches
Mike Gabinet is entering his sixth season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 79-90-13 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 Associate Head Coach
Dave Noel-Bernier (Omaha, 2001) and
Paul Jerrard (Lake Superior State, 1987).
Scott Sandelin is in his 23rd season as head coach at Minnesota Duluth. The 1986 graduate of North Dakota is 433-353-95 with the Bulldogs. He is assisted by Adam Krause (Associate HC) and Cody Chupp. Sandelin has led the Bulldogs to three national titles in four championship game appearances.
All-Time vs. Minnesota Duluth
The Mavericks and Bulldogs are set to meet for the 45th and 46th times this weekend. UMD leads the all-time series 27-12-4. When the game is played in Duluth, the Bulldogs have a 14-3-3 record over Omaha. The Mavericks last win in Duluth came on March 2, 2018.
Jack Attack
Senior forward
Jack Randl currently leads the NCAA in goals (11) and is tied for second (first in the NCHC) in goals per game (1.10). Randl has recorded a goal in 7 of the Mavericks 10 games. He is the first player in program history to score 8 goals in the first 6 games of a season. The previous record of 7 was held by Austin Ortega (15-16) and Brandon Scero (06-07). 5 of Randl's 8 games have been multi-point games.
Jack Attack II
Randl is the 19th player in Omaha Hockey history to score a goal in four consecutive games. It's the 27th time it has happened in program history. Randl is the third player in school history to score a goal in the first four games of the season. The only other players to score goals in the first four games of the season are Stanley Cup winner Jake Guentzel (2014-15) and Matt Ambroz (2010-11).
Among The Conference Leaders
Randl's 14 points is tied for 5th in the NCHC with Casey Dornbach of Denver. Randl is just one of three NCHC players who has recorded a shorthanded goal.
Among The Conference Leaders II
Jake Pivonka sits 8th in the NCHC with 90 faceoff wins out of 170 draws. Omaha ranks 3rd in the NCHC in faceoff winning percentage at .522 percent.
Veteran Presence
All 14 returning skating letterwinners have registered a point so far this season. Senior forward
Jack Randl, graduate student forward
Tyler Weiss, Sophomore defenseman
Davis Pennington, Junior forward
Brock Bremer, Senior forward
Nolan Sullivan, Junior forward
Jimmy Glynn, Junior defenseman
Nolan Krenzen, Junior forward
Matt Miller, Sophomore forward
Ty Mueller, Senior defenseman
Kirby Proctor, Sophomore forward
Cameron Berg, graduate student defenseman
Jonny Tychonick, Junior forward
Kaden Bohlsen and Sophomore defenseman
Victor Mancini have all found the score sheet so far this season. Grad transfer and former Notre Dame captain,
Jake Pivonka, has also landed on the score sheet with a pair of goals and four assists.
There's a First Time For Everything
In Saturday's game against North Dakota, freshman forward
Jacob Slipec scored his first career goal when he tipped in the games first goal, 2:58 into the 2nd period. On the same goal, freshman forward
Ray Fust also registered his first career point with the secondary assist.
Nearing Milestones
Graduate
Tyler Weiss is just 1 point away from 100 career points. In 132 games with Omaha, Weiss has tallied 24 goals and 75 assists.
Young Guns
The freshmen defensive pair of Jo Lemay and
Jacob Guevin have been a mainstay for the Mavericks on the blueline, 10 games into the season. They have combined for nine points (1G, 8A).
Seeing Multiples
The Mavericks have had seven players register multi-point games this season. 1 - Lemay, Guevin, Berg, Mueller, Pivonka. 2 -
Tyler Weiss. 5 -
Jack Randl
Mighty Mueller
Sophomore forward
Ty Mueller has points in 8 of the Mavericks 10 games this season. He is currently riding his second four-game point streak of the season. The next closest to Mueller is
Jack Randl with points in 7 of the Mavericks 10 games and
Tyler Weiss and
Jonny Tychonick each with points in 6 of the Mavericks 10 games.
That's a Plus!
Just another category that the Senior forward leads the Mavericks in. His +5 rating tops the the team.
The Moose is Loose
New York Rangers draft pick and Sophomore blueliner Victor "Moose" Mancini returned to the lineup last Friday after an upper body injury sidelined him for multiple weeks. Mancini recorded an assist both Friday and Saturday night for his first points of the season.
Media
Both games can be heard live on AM 1290. Casey Roehl will have the play-by-play, Terry Leahy provides analysis. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show. You can also stream the game on NCHC.tv.
Up Next
The Mavericks will have their first bye week before heading to Denver to take on the defending national champions, the Denver Pioneers.
