Line Chart – Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 – Omaha vs. Minnesota State-Mankato

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025

Omaha vs. Minnesota State-Mankato at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE) 

Final: 4-1 MSU-Mankato

Scoring for Omaha:

Maxime Pellerin (power play)

Line Chart – Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 – Omaha vs. Minnesota State-Mankato

Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Omaha vs. Minnesota State-Mankato at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 6-2 Omaha

Scoring for Omaha:

Marcus Nguyen

Spencer Sova

Sean Tschigerl

Marc Lajoie (power play)

Aidan de la Gorgendiere

Jacob Slipec (shorthanded, empty net)

Series Preview: Omaha vs. Minnesota State-Mankato, Oct. 10-11, 2025

 

By Bridget (Weide) Brooks

No. 20 Minnesota State-Mankato comes into town for the first series of the regular season in a battle for the Spirit of the Mavericks trophy.

On the road in Mankato last year, the “Purple Mavericks” earned the trophy with a sweep of the “Red Mavericks,” winning 4-3 on Friday night, and 1-0 on Saturday night. In the Friday night game, Omaha clawed back from a 0-3 deficit in the third period to tie it midway through the period, but MSU scored with less than a minute left to claim the victory. On Saturday night, Adam Eisele (brother of former Omaha Maverick Seth Eisele), scored the only goal of the game in the first period.

The “Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy” is awarded to the team that wins the annual series. The winner will be decided by one team winning both games, one team winning one game (with the other ending in a tie), or in the case of a series split, the winner will be determined by the total goals differential. Should the series end in a split — and both teams score the same number of goals — the trophy stays with the team that previously held the trophy. 

Former MSU-Mankato Blue Line Club President Brad Reeves and UNO Blue Line Club President Jim Semerad (now deceased) originally came up with the trophy as a way to try and spur a rivalry between the two schools (who played more frequently two decades ago). 

Fun Fact: I had the opportunity to be involved in the presentation of the Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy in February 2008. (I was the UNO Blue Line Club representative in attendance for the series finale that season.)

Interesting Tidbits:

• Both teams made the jump to Division I men's hockey in the same season (1997-98) and have competed against one another in various conference and non-conference matchups since since that season (we were in the same conference as Mankato from 2009 to 2013). 
• Omaha Coach Mike Gabinet played four games in the “Mavs vs. Mavs” series during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, recording several shots and serving one penalty.
• MSU leads the all-time series 20-16-5, although the series is 8-8-3 in home games for Omaha (UNO is 8-12-2 on the road in the overall series). 

The series will likely feature a battle of two of the best goaltenders in the nation. MSU’s goalie, Alex Tracy, was CCHA Goaltender of the Year, and was just invited to participate in the 2025 Spengler Cup, joining a squad of college hockey players representing NCAA Division I hockey in the tournament, held annually in Davos, Switzerland. This year’s tournament will be the first time a select team representing college hockey has ever competed in the event. The team is comprised of active Division I players of any nationality representing all six conferences as well as the Division I independent programs. Last season, Tracy was a Mike Richter Award finalist and Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist.

Omaha goaltender Simon Latkoczy was last season’s NCHC Goaltender of the Year. Latkoczy started 31 games in the 2024-25 season, finishing with a 14-16-1 record, including one shutout. He ranked 10th in Division I last season with 952 saves (.922 save percentage overall, .926 in the NCHC). He also has a 2.61 career goals against average. 

For Fans Attending the Game in Person: 
The west lot outside Baxter, Lot 25, is open to donors and single-game pass holders 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). Omaha Athletics is also encouraging fans to park in one of the public garages at Aksarben Village.

NOTE: Center Street is under construction with a major resurfacing project. We recommend an alternate route (Grover or Pacific) to reach Baxter Arena this weekend.



Fans should arrive early, especially if entering via the west entrance. Have digital tickets ready to scan in the Omaha 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 in place at all entrances. Concession stands are card only (no cash).

Promotions: 

There will be a schedule magnet giveaway on Friday night.

When:
> Friday, 7 p.m. CT at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)
> Saturday, 7 p.m. CT at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Radio:
The game 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:
The game will be streamed on NCHC.tv ($) 

Live Stats:
Game stats will be available here. 



There are TWO new episodes of the MavPuckCast this week in advance of the first regular series action of the season.

On this episode of the MavPuckCast, Jon and Jason talk about the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s season-opening exhibition win against Air Force Academy (including their picks for “Player of the Week.”) They analyze Omaha’s new hockey jerseys for the 2025-26 season. They conclude the episode with a preview of the upcoming regular season series against Minnesota State-Mankato at Baxter Arena.

And in a first for the MavPuckCast, Jon and Jason interview Omaha Hockey Coach Mike Gabinet. Gabinet is an Edmonton, Alberta, native who is in his ninth season as the head hockey coach at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Gabinet discusses how he decided to join the Mavericks as a player 25 years ago, how he got into coaching, what he thinks of the team’s 2025-26 roster, recruiting, his coaching philosophy, and how he has evolved during his career.

Next Weekend:

Omaha is off for a week following the MSU-Mankato series. The Mavs return to Baxter Arena with another non-conference series versus UMass. That series (Oct. 24-25) is also Homecoming weekend.

MavPuckCast Podcast – S8 Ep 4: Exhibition Win, New Hockey Jerseys, Purple Maverick Preview

Season 8, Episode 4:

Exhibition Win, New Hockey Jerseys, Purple Maverick Preview

On this episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason talk about the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s season opening exhibition win against Air Force Academy (including their picks for “Player of the Week”). They analyze Omaha’s new hockey jerseys for the 2025-26 season. They conclude the episode with a preview of the upcoming regular season series against Minnesota State - Mankato at Baxter Arena! Special thanks for your support of the podcast and MavPuck.com. Your support is greatly appreciated!! Support the MavPuckCast — Become a Founding Member: https://www.mavpuck.com/join New sponsor for the 2025-26 season! Wahoo Distillery: https://www.wahoodistillery.com Chapters: 00:00 - Exhibition Recap 13:33 - Player of the Week 16:45 - Sponsor Break 20:16 - New Hockey Jerseys 32:33 - MSU-Mankato Series Preview Follow MavPuck.com online! https://www.mavpuck.com   / mavpuckpage     / mavpuck     / mavpuck     / mavpuckcast  

2025-26 Omaha Hockey Schedule

We’re starting to put together the pieces of the 2025-26 Omaha Hockey schedule. (Let us know if you hear of any games/series! Email MavpuckEvents(at)gmail.com)

Updated 5/20/25

** Note: The NCAA Official Start Date is Friday, Oct. 3 – No games before that date **

Friday, Oct. 3

Exhibition vs. Air Force at Baxter Arena

Friday, Oct. 10-Saturday, Oct. 11 (thanks @Penguins59 on Instagram)

Minnesota State-Mankato at Omaha (non-conference)

Friday, Oct. 24-Saturday, Oct. 25

UMass at Omaha (non-conference) • HOMECOMING

Friday, Oct. 31-Saturday, Nov. 1

Omaha at Colorado College (Colo. Springs, CO)

Friday, Nov. 7-Saturday, Nov. 8

North Dakota at Omaha

Friday, Nov. 14-Saturday, Nov. 15

Omaha at Minnesota Duluth (Duluth, MN)

Friday, Nov. 21-Saturday, Nov. 22

Western Michigan at Omaha

Friday, Nov. 28-Saturday, Nov. 29

Omaha at Yale (non-conference)

Friday, Dec. 5-Saturday, Dec. 6

BYE

Friday, Dec. 12-Saturday, Dec. 13

Omaha at North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)

Friday, Dec. 19-Saturday, Dec. 20

Omaha at Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD) (non-conference)

** WINTER BREAK **

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Manitoba Exhibition at Omaha (Season Ticket Member Appreciation)

Friday, Jan. 2-Saturday, Jan. 3

Omaha at Cornell (Ithaca, NY)  (non-conference)

Friday, Jan. 9-Saturday, Jan. 10

St. Cloud State at Omaha

Friday, Jan. 16-Saturday, Jan. 17

Omaha at Miami (Oxford, OH)

Friday, Jan. 23-Saturday, Jan. 24

Colorado College at Omaha

Friday, Jan. 30-Saturday, Jan. 31

Omaha at Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, MI)

Friday, Feb. 6-Saturday, Feb. 7 

BYE

Friday, Feb. 13-Saturday, Feb. 14

Denver at Omaha

Friday, Feb. 20-Saturday, Feb. 21

Omaha at Arizona State

Friday, Feb. 27-Saturday, Feb. 28

Miami at Omaha

** NCHC REGULAR SEASON CONCLUDES ** 

Friday, March 6 / Saturday, March 7 / Sunday, March 8

NCHC Quarterfinals (campus sites)

Saturday, March 14

NCHC Semifinals (campus site, higher seed)

Saturday, March 21

NCHC Championship (campus site, higher seed)

Line Chart – Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 Omaha vs. Minnesota State Mankato

Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024

Omaha vs. No. 18 Minnesota State-Mankato

Final:1-0 MSU-Mankato

Series Preview: Omaha at MSU-Mankato, Oct. 25-26, 2024

By Bridget (Weide) Brooks

Yesterday (Wednesday, Oct. 23) was the ninth anniversary of the first home series at Baxter Arena. It’s also been nine years since the “Red Mavericks” of Omaha Hockey have faced off in a regular-season series against the “Purple Mavericks” of MSU-Mankato. In the previous regular-season series — Oct. 9-10, 2015 — Omaha swept MSU-Mankato, 3-2 and 2-0 in Mankato.

In the intervening years, Omaha and MSU-Mankato have only met in exhibition games. In 2022, the teams played in Omaha, with Omaha beating MSU-Mankato 7-2. Last year, the exhibition was in Mankato, and UNO won 1-0. Forward Matt Miller scored the lone goal in that contest.

The “Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy” is at stake again. The “Red Mavericks” currently possess the trophy, awarded to the team that wins the annual series. The winner will be decided by one team winning both games, one team winning one game (with the other ending in a tie), or in the case of a series split, the winner will be determined by the total goals differential. Should the series end in a split — and both teams score the same number of goals — the trophy stays with the team that previously held the trophy. 

Former MSU-Mankato Blue Line Club President Brad Reeves and UNO Blue Line Club President Jim Semerad (now deceased) originally came up with the trophy as a way to try and spur a rivalry between the two schools (who played more frequently two decades ago). 

Fun Fact: I had the opportunity to be involved in the presentation of the Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy in February 2008. (I was the UNO Blue Line Club representative in attendance for the series finale that season.)

Interesting Tidbits:

• Both teams made the jump to Division I men's hockey in the same season 1997-98) and have competed against one another in various conference and non-conference matchups since since that season (we were also in the same conference as Mankato from 2009 to 2013). 
• Omaha Coach Mike Gabinet played four games in the “Mavs vs. Mavs” series during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, recording several shots and serving one penalty.
• MSU-Mankato leads the all-time series 18-16-5.

Coach Gabinet met the media on Wednesday and said the team is moving forward after getting swept last weekend by unranked Augustana at Baxter Arena.

“Losses are losses. They’re hard to take and don’t make you feel good,” Gabinet noted. He said they had good practices early in the week — including some special teams work.

“You got to just find ways to … just keep moving forward. What do you have to focus on this week? How did you get better? What was the feedback from the weekend that we can use to keep on developing? That’s exactly what we did,” he added.

Looking ahead to MSU-Mankato, Gabinet praised Coach Luke Strand’s team. “They beat Michigan, they beat North Dakota … they almost beat North Dakota twice. So you know they’re a good team. They play very fast, and they skate extremely well. It’s going to be a tough competition.”

With the Spirit of the Mavericks trophy on the line, “it’s kind of nice to revive a little bit of a rivalry that even goes back to when I played here,” Gabinet said. He added that it’s “nice to play some of these teams that are within driving distance for our fans and for the team. I think rivalries are good for sports, and especially with the proximity of the locations and obviously both (being) Maverick (named) teams.”

Gabinet said he is looking forward to the first real road games of the season. (The Ice Breaker games were neutral site contests.) “I think it will be a good experience for the guys. It’s always a hostile environment when you go on the road and teams have good fan bases. So I think it’s a really good opportunity to come together as a group… and face that head on as a group together.”

Omaha Hockey Press Conference - Oct. 23, 2024:  

MSU article about the series:

https://msumavericks.com/news/2024/10/23/mens-hockey-preview-18-mavericks-welcome-16-mavericks.aspx

UNO Gateway article about the series:

https://www.unothegateway.com/sports/omaha-hockey-head-coach-mike-gabinet-reflects-on-tough-series-as-mavericks-shift-focus-to/article_6384bb96-9193-11ef-b5d2-5beb83995909.html

The MavPuckCast podcast with Jason & Jon 

S7, E6: Omaha Hockey Gets Swept, Mavs vs. Mavs in Mankato:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PUs4_nGFTU

When:

Friday, 7:07 p.m. Central

Saturday, 6:07 p.m. Central

Radio/TV Coverage:

The series will be streamed on Midco Sports Plus. Subscribe to the Midco Sports Plus 2 package to view the games live or on demand. The app is available on mobile/tablet apps (iOS and Android), connected TV device apps (AppleTV, FireTV and Roku), and a web-based browser interface. A monthly subscription is $24.99. To subscribe, visit MidcoSportsPlus.com.

The series will be broadcast live on 1290 KOIL or the Varsity Sports app. “Voice of the Mavs” Mike Vaillancourt will provide play-by-play and Terry Leahy is back with color commentary. Coverage begins 30 minutes before puck drop each night.

Live audio and stats:

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

Varsity Network App: https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha:oas-1342/content/nebomaha:allaccess-Live-10111

Live stats link here.

Next Weekend:

Omaha is off for a week following the MSU-Mankato series. The Mavs return to Baxter Arena to begin NCHC conference play on Friday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9 (Homecoming Weekend) in a series against the Western Michigan Broncos. 

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:

https://omavs.com/news/2023/10/5/2023-24-campaign-set-to-kick-off-with-exhibition-against-minnesota-state.aspx

MSU article about the exhibition:

https://msumavericks.com/news/2023/10/4/mens-hockey-preview-strand-era-begins-with-nebraska-omaha-exhibition.aspx

The MavPuckCast podcast with Jason & Jon 

S6, E1: Predictions, Hockey Open House, New Omaha Jerseys, Trip to Mankato:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfOdWzWGGDM

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/.

Varsity Network App: https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha:oas-1342/content/nebomaha:allaccess-Live-9984

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.

UNO Achieves Milestone in Weekly College Hockey Polls

Coming off a huge weekend in Mankato, UNO Hockey has achieved a new milestone in program history. UNO is ranked #3 in the USCHO weekly men's hockey poll, and #4 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

There are two national polls that rank men's Division 1 college hockey teams. Both polls are released mid-morning on Mondays during the season.

UNO finished last season (2014-15) ranked #4 in the USCHO poll, after losing in the semifinal game in the Frozen Four to eventual champion Providence.

Here's the news release from UNO:

OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha hockey team earned its highest ranking in school history, coming in third in the latest poll from USCHO.com.

The Mavericks also were ranked fourth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.  Both rankings were released on Monday.

UNO moved up seven spots in both polls and earned eight first-place votes in the USCHO.com poll, also an all-time high.  They earned one first-place vote in the USA Today poll.

The Mavericks are coming off a sweep at then No. 6/9 Minnesota State last weekend, winning 3-2 and 2-0.  It is their first 2-0-0 start since the 2010-11 season.

UNO is one of six NCHC teams in the USCHO.com top-20 poll.  North Dakota took over the top spot, followed by UNO, Denver (5), Minnesota Duluth (7), St. Cloud State (12) and Miami (18).  UND (1), UMD (7), Denver (8) and St. Cloud State (12) also appear in the USA Today poll.

The Mavericks play No. 20 Vermont in the first-ever meetings between the schools on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17 in Burlington, Vt.

See the release online here:
http://www.omavs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=31400&ATCLID=210415991

We have a new No. 1 (per @USCHO)! 1- @UNDmhockey 2- @FriarsHockey 3- @UNO_Hockey http://t.co/6hDeWwCwjY pic.twitter.com/QvjOmqSpWZ

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) October 12, 2015

Mavericks Sweep in Mankato

By Jon Brooks

The first time Bridget and I traveled to Mankato was 1998. It was UNO Hockey's first season of play. We had little idea how the program would transform and evolve in the intervening years. We were young -- in our early 20s -- and the world looked a lot different back then.

One thing remains true after 17-some-odd years. We still love UNO Hockey. We still love following the team on the road. And we still love getting to cheer on the Mavs with our fellow fans.

Mankato is a great trip. Not only is it the closest destination, the overall series has featured some great matchups -- regardless of the final score (and there were several occasions when we struggled against the "Purple Mavericks"). 

The series on Oct. 9 and 10 was no different. Considering where these programs came from, it is fantastic to see them both ranked near the top of the polls. It is a testament to both institutions. 

This series was particularly special since it marked the first time this season that fans have been able to watch the team play. A rarity because the team typically gets a tune-up exhibition against a Canadian team.

Pre-game warmups at Mankato. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Schellhardt.

(You can check out Lindsay's full album of photos from the weekend series here.)

So there we were, chomping at the bit after our surprise run to the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four, ready to watch this year's incarnation of pucksters take the ice.

Avery Peterson takes a faceoff for UNO.

(Photo courtesy of Lindsay Schellhardt.)

UNO celebrates Saturday night's game-winning goal by Jake Randolph.

(Photo courtesy of Lindsay Schellhardt.)

UNO's Jake Guentzel in front of the Mankato net.

(Photo courtesy of Lindsay Schellhardt.)

Mankato's Verizon Wireless Center has undergone some changes. The most noticeable change to me was the fact that they replaced the blue and red seats in the arena with purple seats to match MSU-Mankato's color scheme. (I guess the seats finally mated and produced the right color).

It looks much better, and makes empty seats less noticeable. It also makes the overall feel look less "community arena," and instead look more like a home for their hockey program.

Our fans represented in terrific numbers. We'd like to thank MSU-Mankato's John Eckstein for securing a block of group tickets for our followers. Not only did it allow us to save money on "face value" tickets, it also allowed us all to sit together.

And I must say, it was fun to see the gang of UNO faithful decked out predominately in black (our newly ordained "dominant" color), cheering on the team.

UNO swept the series -- something few predicted would happen. MSU-Mankato -- under the skilled tutelage of Head Coach Mike Hastings -- has proven themselves to be a tough foe in their home arena. 

I look back at the first time Bridget and I traveled there in 1998, and it is interesting to note how it all has changed. Not only are we NOT two of the youngest Mav fans in attendance these days, we had a nice student representation (and recently graduated student representation) in the building showing up on behalf of the crimson-and-black. That's something we wouldn't have seen a decade ago.

UNO Hockey fans filled section 200 and spilled into 201 and 300 at the Mankato Wireless Center.

(Photo courtesy of Susie Dunn.)

@Mavpuck @UNO_Hockey don't forget about this crew!!!! pic.twitter.com/JJHG8juZJb

— Alex (@XanderMan131519) October 11, 2015

(When one of our long-time bus trippers remarks, "Jon, I didn't recognize you from behind, you need some 'Just For Men'," you know you've been a fan for a long time.) 

They yelled and cheered, and even led us in the UNO fite song after goals (and Bridget didn't have to hand out "lyric cards" like she did a decade ago). 

Scoreboard at the end of the game on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015

(Photo courtesy of Lindsay Schellhardt.)

This, my friends, is what building tradition is all about. This is all part of the evolution of our program. 

Things might be different than they were 18 years ago (heck, things have changed rapidly in just the last five years), but the ability for a wide-range of fans to commune at the "Altar of UNO Hockey" is what makes it all the more special as time moves on, and creates a depth and texture that wasn't there before.

The front page of the Sports section of the Mankato Free Press on Sunday, October 11, 2015.

(Photo courtesy of Jon Brooks.)