Jan. 27 Omaha Hockey Press Conference Transcript
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
All right, Trevor, I’ve got some questions for you. So take us back to Friday night. You scored twice in the third, including that empty net goal. What changed for you and your linemates in that last period that kind of opened things up?
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think just kind of sticking to our game and just trying to play the right way the whole time. Obviously, not cheating for offense and just playing a 200-foot game, so luckily it got rewarded.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You had five shots in that game.˙ Was that intentional, like, “I’m going to shoot tonight,” or is that just how the game came to you?
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
I didn’t know that. I don’t think I had five shots, but no, I think, yeah, just trying to throw a puck to the net and create, obviously. We got to score more goals to win games, so just throwing pucks whenever we can at the net, and even if that creates scrums, it’s good for us.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You’ve experienced a lot of different stages already: WHL, USports, now NCAA. What’s been the biggest adjustment for you in this league?
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, it’s a really good league and a hard-structured league, so I think it’s a big step (up) from both USports and (the) WHL. And the structure is just phenomenal against every team you play, so five-on-five points are very, very hard to come by.
And then, when you get to the special teams, they’re so crucial because they’ll give you momentum or kill your momentum. So you can’t take a shift off in this league, and you’re playing against top-end teams all the time, and obviously our conference is very difficult. So I think it’s just a step up in every situation.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Speaking of stepping up, you wore a captain’s letter before, and you were known as more of a lead-by-example guy than the loudest voice. What does leadership look like for you on this team?
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I mean, I think we already have such a great leadership group that I was lucky enough to come here, and they’ve already established their culture here and stuff like that.
But obviously, with a little bit of leadership experience, exactly like you said, (I’m) just trying to lead by example on the ice, and just try to be the best teammate I can and lift guys up and just bring good energy to the room and on the bench and on the ice during practice or whatever it is. So yeah, and then on the ice, lead by example, obviously just trying to play the right way all the time.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Looking ahead to this weekend, Western Michigan’s rolling, and they’ve got confidence all over their lineup, obviously. As a forward, what’s the biggest challenge that you think is going to face you this weekend?
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, that’s a good question. I think, obviously, for us, we got to score more goals. We’re not going to win scoring one or two goals and just rely on our goalies, obviously. So like you said, they’re rolling, obviously, and us forwards, we want to help our team win, and we got to put the puck in the net.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You’ve talked before about how a trade early in your career felt like a “dark moment” to you and then later became a place that felt like home. What’s been a “this feels like home” moment for you in Omaha?
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Honestly, I think it’s just coming to the rink every day with these guys. It’s a very special group. It’s a unique situation bringing in a lot of guys from all different places and different levels of hockey. So, you know, when you come to the rink and (you’ve) felt welcomed, it’s just a great feeling just being part of something bigger than yourself.
And I think that’s, for me, just coming to the rink every day and being with the guys and the coaches and all our support staff around the room.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
What’s something about your game that you’ve learned to laugh at — or not overthink — as you’ve gotten older?
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Tough question. ‘
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
That’s a tough question.
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
That is a tough question.
Sorry, that I laugh at?
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
That you laugh at now, you’re like, “Oh, that worried me when I was younger,” but I don’t even give it a second thought now. About your game. It doesn’t have to be personal.
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
That’s a tough question. That might be the hardest question I’ve got.
I mean, I think now in my career, I think not being so worried about … being worried about just wins and …
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Points or something like that.
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, not individual stuff, I think, is a good way to put it. Yeah. I think when you’re younger, and you have junior drafts or NHL drafts, you’re so worried about your individual points and what you’re going to produce and stuff like that.
But I think in my career now, I think I’m just more focused on enjoying it all, really, because I’ve been so lucky to just have been on the career path that I’ve been on. I never thought I could play in the WHL, USports, and NCAA.
So I’m really just enjoying it all, and this experience has been so amazing.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
I think that’s a good place to leave it. Thanks so much, Trevor.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Awesome, Trevor. Thanks, bud.
Trevor Wong (Sophomore Forward, Omaha Hockey):
What a tough question.
Emma Goldstein (Sports Information, Omaha Athletics):
Questions for head coach Mike Gabinet.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
So coach, when you look back at the Colorado College series, what did you like most about your team’s performance this past weekend?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I thought it was a good step for us this weekend. Again, just pockets of the game that I thought we could be better at.
I thought we started tentatively a little bit both nights, just a little bit of maybe nervous on what’s going to happen, instead of just initiating the game. But again, overall, I thought the guys took a nice step.
Again, I thought easily could have — two very close games that could have gone in our favor pretty easily both ways. And so that’s a nice confidence boost for the guys. The work we put in that week, I think, that really showed up on the weekends here, and we got to continue that to this weekend here.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Game one really felt like you got rewarded late for sticking with your play, your identity. What did you see change in the final like 15 or 20 minutes that changed that game?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, like you said, I think just staying with it, and being comfortable in those situations, and just continuing to play the game the right way for long periods of time can be difficult. But as we’ve seen this season, it’s one or two crucial plays that ultimately make the difference in the game. You never know when that’s going to happen.
And so, the longer you can do that consistently, I think that separates a little bit of the good teams from the great teams with the ability to stick with that longer than they’re willing to stick with it there. So yeah, tremendous investment by the guys there, and it was nice to get rewarded with a big win.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
(New Omaha defenseman) Ryan McCleary stepped in quickly. What have you liked about his adjustment to college hockey so far, and specifically, what did you like about his weekend against Colorado College?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, again, I haven’t seen him a ton yet to get a really good feel for his game, but I think the first word that comes to mind — I think you’re hearing it even from players on the bench — is really solid.
Just played really solid and very efficient game out there that just kind of was hard to play against, (he) moved pucks quickly. He’s a big guy that’s pretty rangey there.
And again, like I mentioned earlier with (Jacob) Guevin out, having another right shot guy, that really helps your transition and a little bit of things on the offensive line when you have your right-handed guys playing together. So yeah, overall, I was just really impressed with his play and (he was) just really solid out there.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Trevor (Wong) obviously had a big weekend, the two-goal night on Friday. What are you seeing in his game right now that’s working, and what do you want him to do to take that next step?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think he’s been one of our best players here as of late, for sure. I think you can see that on theice, just the way he’s moving now and making plays and moving his feet and seeing the game. And very creative player, very intelligent player out there.
And I think that’s really crucial for us is that we have certain guys step up right now. We have a lot of guys that are kind of the same, and now hopefully you’re seeing some of these guys take that next step there. And as you mentioned, getting that crucial goal, making that crucial play. And he’s one of those guys who can do those sort of things.
So (we’re) really happy with his progress here, and you can see him getting more comfortable. Even in practice this week, you can see some of those guys…a lot of times you see it in practice before you see it in the games, and you can see some of these guys starting to feel the puck and making more plays and hanging on to it for a little extra time and not rushing the plays, being quick but not hurrying, having poise at the right times. And those are usually good things when offense starts to generate.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Looking ahead to Western Michigan, they swept us at Baxter (Arena) earlier in the season. But when you watch that series back and you prepare for this one, what are the two or three biggest differences that you need to see on Friday and Saturday in Kalamazoo?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think if you remember, I thought we had a really good game on Saturday, just one of those games that obviously we came up short, but I thought we really — I think they got maybe an empty netter that game. But yeah, so just continue to build on some of those things that we did well.
And they’re an interesting team, right? They’re a very kind of high transition team and like to stretch guys. So you have to pick your times to be very aggressive, and then you have to pick your times also to make sure you’re defending properly and not letting them get behind you.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You’ve got a lot of guys who haven’t experienced a game at Lawson yet. What’s the message to them about that environment, and how do you make sure they’re ready to go on Friday night?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think we just need a little bit of joy and fun too, and so kind of take it as maybe an opportunity to have a little jam and go into a real tough environment and kind of just go hard and you know, try to keep it quiet in there, right?
So I think it’s obviously always a loud place to play. And so I think just kind of take it as a challenge and kind of walk right into it head-on rather than worry about it too much. I think that’s the mindset that we’re going to take it into this weekend.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You had Simon (Latkoczy) as the featured player at last week’s press conference, and then he goes out and earns NCHC Goaltender of the Week. And the same thing happened back in November with the Colorado College road series. Is that a funny coincidence, or…?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, just give sometimes — and that’s a good reminder for me too — to give players confidence, right?
At times, you need somebody to believe in you to get confidence. And I think that’s really important sometimes as a coach, especially when guys have maybe been struggling a little bit there, that you got to remember how do you get them to perform at their best and how do you coach?
And sometimes that’s accountability. Sometimes that’s a firm hand and a push, and sometimes that’s getting them to make sure they believe in themselves and understand they’re capable of doing things they don’t realize they’re capable of doing. So we’ve had kind of all those talks throughout the thing.
But I think if you want different results, you got to do different things. And whether that’s coaching or the player taking responsibility and working on their mindset, it’s everybody working for the same thing. It’s not us or we or me or them. It’s us. It’s we. And when you do that together, usually that’s where you keep improving.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You’ve got one more weekend and then a bye week to get some guys healthy — or healthier anyway. Can you give us an injury update?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, Jacob Guevin. He’s still out right now, so probably questionable for this weekend. So we’ll see what happens there. But hopefully he’s not far off from a return here.
But I haven’t talked to our trainer today after practice. But with that bye week coming up, it’s always a little bit difficult — you know, if a player’s not quite ready or close — falling by a bye week, sometimes the medical staff’s a little bit more cautious knowing that they got another week right on the horizon there.
So we’ll probably make a decision here tomorrow when we travel.
Thanks, Bridget. You know what? You always do a really good job. Just one point for you. You always do a really good job of doing background into the players and asking good questions. So we appreciate that for sure.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
I didn’t mean to put Trevor on the spot today. Poor guy felt like he was in a job interview.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, that’s — you know what? But you always do a good job researching the players. And I know they appreciate that, and it’s always good to get those guys stumped once in a while.
Emma Goldstein (Sports Information, Omaha Athletics):
Thanks, Mike.
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