Friday, October 27, 2023

Series Preview: Omaha vs. Ohio State, Oct. 27-28, 2023


Following a “revenge sweep” of Niagara to open a four weekend homestand at Baxter Arena, the Mavericks next face off with the Buckeyes of Ohio State on Oct. 27-28. Currently Omaha is ranked no. 20 in the USCHO.com weekly poll, and Ohio State is ranked no. 16.

Omaha had a bye week last weekend, allowing the players a little more time for recovery and a little more time with video, Associate Coach Peter Aubry noted in the weekly press conference. Assistant captain Matt Miller will hopefully be back in the lineup after missing the Saturday game of the Niagara series.

Aubry assessed the Ohio State squad, saying they are "pretty well rounded and pretty hard-nosed. Good defensively through the middle.” He noted the Buckeyes bounced back well last Saturday night (2-2 tie with a shootout win) after being beaten by Michigan 7-1 on Friday.

Defenseman Kirby Proctor echoed Coach Aubry, saying Ohio State is a “good team, but we’re trying to make this weekend about us.” He said the team is “focused on the process” and “doing the right things.” Proctor said the bye week was “nice to continue to build on concepts and things like that while we had some time.” He added it allowed for “some rest and recovery [to be able to] take care of our bodies early in the year.”

Highlighting the importance of non-conference games in setting the team up for post-season play, Proctor said the team wants to “represent the conference well. It affects the Pairwise. Every out-of-conference weekend is big.” 

For “vintage Mavericks,” the head coach of the Buckeyes is familiar. Steve Rohlik was an original (“oldbull”) member of the Maverick coaching staff when the program started in 1997. He was on the UNO staff for three years before joining Minnesota-Duluth in 2000. He was elevated to the Ohio State head coach role in 2013.

Ohio State is 2-1-2 on the year. Omaha is 2-0-0. 

Ohio State and Omaha were together in the CCHA for 11 seasons. Omaha leads Ohio State in the all-time series, 18-14-5, including 11-3-3 in Omaha. In their most recent matchup — in Columbus Oct. 18-19, 2019 — the teams split, with Ohio State taking the first game 3-2 and Omaha taking the second game 2-1.

In our previous series preview, we noted that “Offense will be the question mark for Omaha in this series.” That question was answered somewhat in Friday night’s game, when eight different Mavericks scored (Tanner Ludtke, Zach Urdahl, Dominic Vidoli, Ray Fust, Nolan Sullivan, Joaquim Lemay, Tyler Rollwagen, and Jesse Lansdell) in the 8-1 victory. Saturday’s 2-1 victory saw goals from Griffin Ludtke and Lemay. 

Goaltenders Simon Latkoczy and Seth Eisele split duties during the Niagara series, with Latkoczy getting the start on Friday and Eisele on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues, or if a successful Friday outing for Latkoczy results in him starting both games. The coaching staff has had a penchant for sticking with a goalie (after a successful Friday performance) in key series against ranked opponents. 

For Fans Attending the Games in Person:

There are some new parking changes this year. The west lot outside Baxter, Lot 25, is now open to donors only and parking passes are required to park in that lot. The north lot, Lot 27, offers free parking on a first-come, first-served basis, as is Lot 26 (west of the arena, across the creek).


With colder temperatures expected, fans should arrive early to avoid crowds, especially at the west entrance. Have digital tickets ready to scan in the Mavericks app (or add them from your MyMavs account to your phone’s wallet app). If you have questions, stop by the box office at Baxter Arena before the game or call 402-554-MAVS.

The clear bag policy remains in effect at Baxter Arena, and metal detectors are now at all entrances. 

Theme Nights:

Friday night is 90s Night. Fans are encouraged to wear 90s apparel. Saturday night will feature trick-or-treating in the arena concourse from 6:07 to 7 p.m. This weekend is also Parent’s Weekend, and the players and parents will be on the ice before the game on Saturday, so show up early!


Series preview articles:

Omavs.com:

Ohio State Hockey:
When:
> Friday, 7:07 p.m. CT (Game sponsor: Northern Natural Gas)
> Saturday, 7:07 p.m. CT (Game sponsor: Rotella’s Italian Bakery)

Radio:
Both games will be broadcast live on 1290 AM and on The Varsity Network app. Pre-game coverage begins 30 minutes prior to face off with the FNBO Pre-Game Show. “Voice of the Mavs” Mike Vaillancourt will have the play-by-play, with color commentary provided by Terry Leahy.

TV:
Both games will be streamed on NCHC.tv ($)

Live Stats:
Click here.


Also check out episode 3 of the sixth season of the “MavPuckCast with Jason and Jon.” In this 45-minute episode, Jon and Jason review the sweep over Niagara as well as some of the “Things You Missed at Baxter Arena” and a discussion of ticketing glitches. They also preview this week’s series with Ohio State and provide their predictions for the series.


Next up: The homestand continues as Omaha faces its first conference foe of the season when they take on Western Michigan on Friday, Nov. 3 (7:07 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 4 (7:07 p.m.) at Baxter Arena. It will be Homecoming weekend too!
at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Friday, October 13, 2023

Series Preview: Omaha vs. Niagara, Oct. 13-14, 2023


In the first of four home series to open the 2023-24 season, Omaha will face Niagara in a pair of non-conference games on Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14.

Omaha is looking for revenge for the Niagara series last season when the Purple Eagles swept Omaha 4-3 in a pair of games at Baxter Arena. (Is it odd that both of these non-conference series were in Omaha? Usually we play a series there, and a series here. Hmm.) Several pundits traced Omaha missing the NCAA tournament last year to this series, and the players interviewed at the weekly news conferences have alluded to the need for a strong non-conference showing to start the season off on the right foot. The 2022 series also represents the last time that Omaha was swept at home.

In the pre-series press conference, head coach Mike Gabinet reiterated the importance of the series. "No one is taking these games for granted. We’re committed to bring our best effort come Friday and Saturday night.”

Junior forward Ty Mueller echoed the sentiment. “Looking back at it, [that series] kind of ruined our whole season in a way. So I think it’s super important that we come out remembering that and make sure we play this game like our season depends on it and make sure we win both [games] this weekend.”

Niagara leads Omaha in the all-time series, 6-3-1. 

Offense will be the question mark for Omaha in this series. The team lost five of its top 10 point producers from last season, although top performers senior Matt Miller and graduate students Jack Randl and Nolan Sullivan return. 

Goaltenders Simon Latkoczy and Seth Eisele split time in the net during last weekend’s exhibition game at MSU Mankato, combining to turn aside 38 shots and keeping the Purple Mavericks scoreless. Latkoczy is expected to get the start in net on Friday.

For Fans Attending the Games in Person:

A couple of key changes await fans at Baxter Arena in the 2023-24 season. The first is that one parking option has changed. The west lot outside Baxter, Lot 25, is now open to donors only and parking passes will be required to park in that lot. The north lot, Lot 27, offers free parking on a first-come, first-served basis, as is Lot 26 (west of the arena, across the creek).


The second change is that the venue has added metal detectors at all entrances. Fans should allow a few extra minutes for entry as staff and fans adjust to this new change. In addition, fans can no longer print tickets from their MyMavs account, so be prepared to access your digital tickets in your Mavericks app or add them from your MyMavs account to your phone’s wallet app. Note that the digital tickets will not have a barcode. Some fans have reported trouble with these processes, so test it before coming to the arena. If you have questions, call 402-554-MAVS or visit the box office at Baxter Arena.


Series preview articles:

Omavs.com:

Niagara Hockey:
When:
> Friday, 7:07 p.m. CT 
> Saturday, 7:07 p.m. CT

Radio:
Both games will be broadcast live on 1290 AM. Pre-game coverage begins 30 minutes prior to face off with the FNBO Pre-Game Show. New “Voice of the Mavs” Mike Vaillancourt will have the play-by-play, with color commentary provided by Terry Leahy.

TV:
Both games will be streamed on NCHC.tv ($)

Live Stats:
Click here.


Also check out episode 2 of the sixth season of the “MavPuckCast with Jason and Jon.” This 35-minute episode features Jon and Jason talking about the exhibition game in Mankato, a look at the MSU Mankato arena, UNO’s upcoming appearance in the 2024 Ice Breaker Tournament in Las Vegas, and their predictions and a preview of the series with the Purple Eagles.



Next up: The Mavericks get an early bye week and then the homestead continues as Omaha faces another non-conference foe (and an #oldbull coach, Steve Rohlik) when they take on Ohio State, Friday, Oct. 27 (7:07 p.m.) and Saturday, Oct. 28 (7:07 p.m.) at Baxter Arena.
at No comments:
Labels: ,

Friday, October 6, 2023

Exhibition Preview: Mavs vs Mavs – Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023



"There is no offseason, only preseason."

That’s one of my (Bridget’s) favorite sayings, but the offseason and preseason both come to an end on Saturday when the Red Mavs and the Purple Mavs square off in an exhibition in Mankato, MN. The game is at 6:07 p.m. Central at the Mayo Clinic HSEC arena.

The two teams also met last season in Omaha for an exhibition. Omaha beat MSU 7-2.

For the first time, we have been issued media credentials from UNO, so I got the chance to attend Wednesday’s press conference with head coach Mike Gabinet and captain Nolan Sullivan.

Gabinet said the rule change with exhibitions that allowed teams to play another NCAA opponent provides an opportunity — “It’s an opportunity to play everybody and dress everyone,” he noted. 

He added that he was looking forward to being on the road. “There’s not as much pressure as being in front of a home crowd,” Gabinet said, and it would be an opportunity for the team to “get their feet wet.”

“The guys are excited to play someone else.” Gabinet added that he is really impressed with the team, that they’ve been working extremely hard. He said, this is “an exciting group to coach — one of the best groups for coachability, culture, and team unity.”

Gabinet said they wouldn’t pre-scout the purple Mavericks because the entire MSU coaching staff is different than last year, and the team has 10 new players this season. One of the 10 will be a familiar face. Former Omaha Maverick Kaden Bohlsen transferred to MSU during the offseason.

Minnesota State leads Omaha 20-15-5 overall in the series, despite last season’s exhibition win. The Red Mavericks currently possess the “Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy,” awarded to the team that wins the annual series. Former president of the MSU Blue Line Club, Brad Reeves, and the late Omaha Blue Line Club president Jim Semerad came up with the trophy. 

Fun fact: I had the opportunity to be involved in the presentation of the Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy to the purple Mavs in February 2008.



Omavs.com article about the exhibition:

MSU article about the exhibition:

The MavPuckCast podcast with Jason & Jon 
S6, E1: Predictions, Hockey Open House, New Omaha Jerseys, Trip to Mankato:



When:
Saturday, 6:07 p.m. Central

Radio/TV Coverage:
The exhibition game will be streamed on FloHockey.tv. Fans can purchase a monthly subscription ($30) to watch the game. (There is no single game purchase option.) With the purchase of a monthly subscription, you also get access to all CCHA games along with USHL, Atlantic Hockey, and ECHL games during that time. 

The exhibition game will be broadcast live on 1290 KOIL. New “Voice of the Mavs” Mike Vaillancourt will provide play-by-play and Terry Leahy is back with color commentary. Coverage begins at 5:37 p.m.

Live audio and stats:
MSU Live audio link https://radiomankato.com/ktoe/.

Live stats link here.

Next Weekend:
UNO begins NCAA play with a non-conference series against Niagara at Baxter Arena on Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14. Both games start at 7:07 p.m. Central.
at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)