Omaha closed out the 2025 calendar year with a non-conference road split against (RV) Augustana at Midco Arena in Sioux Falls, S.D. After falling behind early in Friday’s opener, the Mavericks showed offensive resilience throughout the weekend and responded with a complete, 60-minute performance Saturday night to earn the series split.
Friday, Dec. 19
(RV) Augustana 7, Omaha 4
Omaha twice climbed back within a goal Friday night, but Augustana’s early scoring and timely responses proved decisive in a 7-4 Vikings win.
Augustana scored on its first shot of the game just 2:01 in and led the rest of the way. Leonid Bulgakov struck twice in the opening period — including a power-play goal — as the Vikings carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission despite Omaha holding a 14-12 edge in shots.
The Mavericks began their push early in the second period. Marc Lajoie put Omaha on the board at 10:36, taking a cross-crease feed from Sean Tschigerl and snapping home his fifth goal of the season. Less than four minutes later, “Big Sam” Huo buried a chance following a faceoff win by Trevor Wong to make it 3-2.
Augustana halted the momentum with a late second-period power-play goal, but Omaha answered again early in the third. Marcus Nguyen converted on the man advantage just 2:10 into the frame, pulling the Mavericks within 4-3.
Each Omaha comeback was met with a response from Augustana. The Vikings scored twice more in the third before Brett Hyland notched a goal from the right wing with 1:59 remaining to make it 6-4. Augustana added an empty-netter in the final minute.
Omaha finished with a 36-30 advantage in shots on goal. Dawson Cowan made 23 saves in net, and Marc Lajoie (1G, 1A) and Spencer Sova (2A) led the Mavericks offensively.
Period scoring:
Omaha 0-2-2 = 4
Augustana 2-2-3 = 7
Key storyline:
Omaha’s offense showed persistence, but Augustana’s early lead forced the Mavericks to chase all night.
Goaltending:
• Dawson Cowan (Omaha): 23 saves on 29 shots
• Josh Kotai (AU): 32 saves on 36 shots
Saturday, Dec. 20
Omaha 4, (RV) Augustana 1
Omaha delivered a decisive response Saturday night, jumping out to an early lead and never relinquishing control in a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game losing streak and secured the series split.
The Mavericks opened the scoring just four minutes in when Brett Hyland finished a rebound after Jacob Guevin’s initial shot was blocked. Omaha doubled the lead later in the first as Marcus Nguyen buried another rebound, this one off a Luke Woodworth shot, giving the Mavs a 2-0 advantage despite being outshot 16-9 in the period.
Dawson Cowan anchored the effort early, stopping all 16 Augustana shots in the opening frame.
Omaha stretched the lead midway through the second period on the power play. Jérémy Loranger scored his first goal as a Maverick just 25 seconds into the man advantage, making it 3-0. Augustana carried a 28-15 edge in shots through two periods, but Cowan turned aside every chance.
Loranger added his second of the night — and second of the season — at 7:11 of the third, finishing a play set up by Trevor Wong and Guevin to extend the lead to 4-0. Augustana broke the shutout late, but Cowan closed the door from there.
Cowan finished with 36 saves, earning first-star honors. Loranger’s two-goal night highlighted a balanced Omaha attack, while Guevin and Woodworth each recorded two assists.
Period scoring:
Omaha 2-1-1 = 4
Augustana 0-0-1 = 1
Key storyline:
Omaha capitalized on early chances, blocked shooting lanes, and leaned on elite goaltending to control the game state from start to finish.
Goaltending:
• Dawson Cowan (Omaha): 36 saves on 37 shots
• Josh Kotai (AU): 22 saves on 26 shots
Weekend Themes & Notes
Response and resilience:
After trailing nearly the entire opener, Omaha dictated Saturday’s game with fast starts, clean defensive structure, and improved puck management.
Special teams impact:
The Mavericks went 2-for-7 on the power play over the weekend, with goals from Nguyen and Loranger, while holding Augustana to two power-play goals across both games.
Cowan closes strong:
Cowan logged 119:02 of action over the weekend, stopping 59 of 66 shots, including a dominant 36-save performance Saturday.
Depth scoring emerging:
Seven different Mavericks found the net across the two games, with Loranger’s first career multi-goal game highlighting Omaha’s offensive balance.
Up Next…
Omaha is off until Tuesday, Dec. 30, when the Mavericks return home to host an exhibition against Manitoba on Kemp Ice at Baxter Arena before opening the second half of the season.
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