By Bridget (Weide) Brooks
Omaha Hockey gets one more chance to experiment before the games start counting when the Mavericks host the University of Manitoba in a Wednesday night exhibition at Baxter Arena.
Omaha is coming off a 4-1 exhibition win at Air Force on Friday, a game that gave the Mavericks more than just a victory. They played with the physicality and intensity head coach Mike Gabinet wanted to see, used both Dawson Cowan and William Lacelle in goal, faced a six-on-five situation late in the game, and even played a prearranged three-on-three overtime after regulation.
Now, Gabinet gets another opportunity to evaluate his team before the regular season begins Oct. 15 at Augustana.
“It’s nice to get a chance to play and play real competition there, and get a chance for guys to get experience, and for us to evaluate a little bit too as coaches,” Gabinet said Monday. “So I really like the idea of back-to-back exhibition games before we get started.”
Building on the Air Force Win
Four different Mavericks scored Friday, with Myles Hilman, Joel Plante, Luke Woodworth, and Parker Berge finding the net. (The OMavs recap gave credit to Marcus Nguyen, but the official scoresheet credited Berge.)
Cowan started and stopped 14 shots before Lacelle took over midway through the second period. The freshman stopped all 16 shots he faced as the two combined for 30 saves.
Gabinet was especially pleased with the way Omaha played without the puck.
“I thought we played hard. I thought we were physical. I thought we tracked well. I thought we checked hard,” Gabinet said. “Some of those identity pieces that we talked about before the weekend being really important for us.”
Hilman, who scored Omaha’s first goal on Friday, said getting into an actual game also showed the Mavericks something practice couldn’t.
“It’s just another level of speed,” Hilman said. “You can practice as hard as you want, but games are a completely different thing.”
He said getting those “game legs” back was one of the biggest benefits of the trip to Air Force.
With less than two weeks between the start of official practice and the regular-season opener, the Mavericks have used the two exhibitions as an extension of their preseason preparation.
Special teams were a priority in practice Monday after Omaha had only one power-play opportunity against Air Force.
“We did quite a bit of special teams today,” Gabinet said. “We only had one power play against Air Force, so (we) worked on that a little bit more today.”
The Mavericks will also continue experimenting with line combinations. Omaha dressed everyone available at Air Force, and Gabinet said the Mavericks will have 14 forwards against Manitoba following an injury to freshman Aiden Oiring.
“The lines will jump around a little bit there,” Gabinet said. “But definitely trying to look at some combinations here and get a feel for some chemistry and take it from there.”
Manitoba Gets Another NCHC Test
Manitoba comes to Omaha after facing No. 4 North Dakota in an exhibition Sunday afternoon in Grand Forks.
The Bisons lost 5-1 as North Dakota held a 56-9 advantage in shots. Manitoba was held without a shot in the first period before Grady Lane scored a power-play goal early in the second to cut UND’s lead to 2-1.
North Dakota scored the final three goals for the 5-1 victory.
Manitoba is coached by Gordon Burnett, who is beginning his fourth season with the Bisons. Omaha’s game notes list both teams at 0-0-0 entering Wednesday because the exhibition results do not count toward their regular-season records.
For Omaha, the result Wednesday matters less than what the Mavericks learn from it.
“Anytime you get this experience before it starts counting for real, it’s really valuable,” Gabinet said.
Watch Bridget’s Interviews with Coach Mike Gabinet and Myles Hilman:
For Fans Attending the Game in Person
Puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. CT. Doors open at 5 p.m.
The west lot outside Baxter Arena, Lot 25, is open to donors and single-game pass holders only, and a parking pass is required. Lot 27, north of the arena, and Lot 26, west of the arena across the creek, offer free parking on a first-come, first-served basis. Omaha Athletics is also encouraging fans to use the public parking garages in Aksarben Village.
Fans should arrive early, especially if entering through 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.
The clear bag policy remains in effect at Baxter Arena, metal detectors are in place at all entrances, and concession stands are card-only.
More info: What to Know Before an Omaha Hockey Game at Baxter Arena
Game Information
When:
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m. CT at Baxter Arena in Omaha
Doors Open:
5 p.m.
TV/Stream:
NCHC.tv ($)
Listen:
Varsity Network App Mike Vaillancourt will have the play-by-play with Terry Leahy providing color commentary.
Live Stats:
StatBroadcast
Tickets:
Ticketmaster
There are TWO new episodes of the MavPuckCast this week in advance of the two exhibitions to start the season!
On this episode of the MavPuckCast, Bridget talks with University of Nebraska at Omaha Director of Spirit, Tradition, and Signature Events Bill Pickett. Pickett discusses the origins of UNO’s Office of Spirit and Tradition, building a student presence at the university’s athletic events, organizing and fundraising for student trips to road games, Durango Days, De-Stress Fest, and other events to keep the student population engaged.
Support Spirit & Tradition’s 100th trip with a donation:
Wear Black, Give Back
