OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha returns to the Kemp Ice at Baxter Arena to face independent Lindenwood in the two programs' first series against each other. The teams will battle on Friday, Dec. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 14, with both games starting at 7:07 p.m. in Omaha, Neb. Catch the games on NCHC.tv or listen on the Varsity app or 1290 KOIL AM.

The Mavericks have never faced the Lions in a regular-season game or series. Lindenwood is in its third season at the Division I level, having begun play during the 2022-23 season.

Omaha takes a break from NCHC action through this matchup, returning from No. 9 St. Cloud State, earning a split last weekend and a 4-3 overtime victory on Friday courtesy of graduate forward Sam Stange.

This season, the Mavericks are a perfect 3-0 in overtime. The first two wins were back-to-back overtime games in the 2024 Ice Breaker Tournament, where Omaha took the championship after beating then-No. 5 Minnesota.

All three overtime wins are over top 15 ranked opponents, and two were in the top 10.

Stange leads Omaha in game-winning goals with three this season. The Eau Claire, Wis., native also has nine points (5G-4A) over the last six games in which the Mavericks are 4-2.

Senior forward Zach Urdahl returned to the lineup last Friday after being out since Nov. 16. His return didn't disappoint as he was accountable for two goals and one assist in the 4-3 overtime win against the Huskies.

While the Mavericks have yet to play the Lions, some new members of the team have played against them in the past.

Junior defenseman Dylan Gratton has tallied four points (1G-3A) in two games against Lindenwood as a member of the Penn State men's hockey team.
Gratton's four points are tied for the fifth-most among active defensemen against the Lions.

Graduate forwards Brady Risk and Harrison Israels have notched points in two games played against Lindenwood while teammates at Alaska. Risk has four points (2G-2A), and Israels scored once against the Lions.

Lindenwood has faced NCHC opponents (Denver, Miami) four times in the 2024-25 campaign heading into its series at Omaha. The Lions are 1-3 this season against NCHC opponents and have played all four games on the road. Lindenwood's only win over an NCHC foe was when it beat Miami 4-2 on Oct. 25 in Oxford, Ohio. The Lions are outscored 7-14 by NCHC teams this year.

On the road, Lindenwood is 2-9-1, most recently suffering a two-game sweep against them on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 from then-No. 1 Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich.

The Lions are led in goals (7), assists (5) and points (12) by forward David Gagnon. Bill Muckalt is in his first year as the program's head coach.

Following the series against Lindenwood, the Mavericks will play only once more in 2024, when they play Manitoba in an exhibition contest on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m.