"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/.
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.
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