After a long break, Omaha returns to action on Friday, Jan. 5 facing UMass Lowell in the Desert Hockey Classic tournament, hosted by Arizona State University. The Mavs and the River Hawks will face off at 4:30 p.m. Central at Mullett Arena in Tempe. Omaha’s opponent for Saturday’s game will either be ASU or Harvard, depending on the outcome of Friday’s matchups.
Omaha and UMass Lowell last faced off in 2017, splitting the series in Massachusetts, with Omaha winning Friday and the River Hawks getting the win on Saturday.
The River Hawks are 6-10-2 overall, and 3-6-1 in Hockey East. The Mavericks are 9-5-2 overall, and 3-4-1 in the NCHC. Omaha last played on Dec. 8-9 at Baxter Arena, splitting a series with St. Cloud State University (losing 4-1 Friday and tying 2-2 Saturday, winning a shootout to get the extra conference point).
Coach Mike Gabinet said the team is “anxious to get back” to playing hockey, adding “Any time you’re in a tournament setting is exciting. The guys are looking forward to it.”
He said it’s a little tougher for players to come back to a road game versus being home at Baxter Arena, but added that the team is looking forward to spending time together. The team is looking forward to seeing ASU, a program that will be “a big part of the (NCHC) conference” in the future. He noted there will be “lots of alumni there and lots of fans there. It will be really exciting and should be a great weekend.”
Scouting the River Hawks, Coach Gabinet said they are a “good team with good structure. They will be tough, but we’re ready to face them.”
The Mavericks are expected to get forwards Zach Urdahl and Jimmy Glynn back from injuries suffered before the holidays. The status of forward Matt Miller was less certain.
Graduate forward Jack Randl also said the team was also looking forward to playing in a new arena. The tournament focus makes preparation for the weekend a little more difficult, but he said the team will “go out and play and focus on us and what we do. We want to focus on us and have a good mindset going into the game, no matter who we are playing.”
Looking at UMass Lowell, Randl said the River Hawks “Play hard, an honest game. They get in on the forecheck and are good defensively.”
Randl said the team is looking forward to the warm weather of Arizona. “Hopefully we’ll get down and get some sun.”
Looking ahead to the second half of the season, Randl said the team will “continue to get better every game and every practice. We want to continue to grow so when March comes we’re hitting our stride and everything we worked toward is coming together. We want to get better every day and every week, and we want to keep building off it.”
For Fans Attending the Games in Person in Tempe:
You’re invited to meet up at 1 p.m. at the Hyatt Place hotel, 601 E. 6th Street, for a team send-off. Stick around afterwards for an Omaha Athletics fan social (cash bar).
The Omaha vs. UMass-Lowell starts at 3:30 p.m. local time at Mullett Arena, 411 S. Packard Drive in Tempe. Mullett Arena has a clear bag policy and is cashless for concession purchases. (Full policies)
The “Mavs on the Move” event, sponsored by the UNO Alumni Association, will begin at 5 p.m. at Society, 920 E. University Drive, Suite 204. (One half-mile from the arena.) Pre-registrations are required.
Full itinerary for the weekend:
For Fans Not Attending In Person:
All games will be on the PAC-12 Livestream.
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