Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024
Omaha vs. No. 18 Minnesota State-Mankato
Final:1-0 MSU-Mankato
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).
Chapters:
00:00 - Ice Breaker Tournament Recap and Analysis 14:45 - Players of the Week 19:25 - Things You Missed in Las Vegas 27:16 - Omaha Hockey vs. Augustana Preview
Video version:
Coming off two wins at the Ice Breaker Tournament in Las Vegas, the Omaha Hockey team is back in action at Baxter Arena this weekend.
Omaha defeated the UMass Minutemen 3-2 in overtime on Friday to advance to the championship game on Saturday, a rematch with Minnesota (which knocked Omaha out of the NCAA regionals in March 2024). The Mavericks beat the Gophers 2-1 in overtime to claim the Ice Breaker Tournament trophy.
Senior forward Zach Urdahl was named to the all-tournament team and junior goaltender Simon Latkoczy was named the tournament’s “Most Outstanding Player” after his school record-tying 53-save performance in the championship game.
Junior defenseman Jacob Guevin was named the KJ Branding NCHC Defenseman of the Week for his play in the tournament, including potting the game winning goal on Saturday. Latkoczy also was recognized as the KJ Branding NCHC Goaltender of the Week.
Coach Gabinet highlighted the “two big wins against two very good opponents” and spotlighted Latkoczy’s play. “He’s just been fun to watch.”
Latkoczy praised his teammates for contributing to his Saturday play. “The guys helped me a lot. So they made that work a little bit easier.” He added, “I think (the team) gave me many easy shots when our guys did a good job of not being in my way to try and block the shot. So I saw all the pucks, and they also helped me with the rebounds. There were many pucks that could (have ended) up in the net if the guys didn’t help me.”
When asked about the school record, he seemed unaware he had tied the record. “I didn’t know about it,” he said.
Latkoczy has previously said he visualizes the complete game in his head before the puck drops. He said his “everyday work” in practice helps him be prepared for the game. “I see all these saves before (the game) in my head. So, it’s not something that I’m not used to.”
Coach Gabinet said the team’s identity was solidified with the tournament win. “We’re just a team that finds a way to keep showing up and keep engaging, no matter what situation we get presented with.” He added, “It could be easy to throw in the towel when you face adversity.”
The no. 12 Mavericks face the unranked Augustana Vikings in a series on Friday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct. 19.
Augustana (1-1-0) is in its second season and was swept by Omaha last year in a home-and-home series. Omaha (2-0-0) won the Friday game at Baxter Arena 2-1 before traveling to Sioux Falls, SD and winning the second game 5-2.
UMass won the faceoff battle on Friday, 29-24 and Minnesota and Omaha both won 29 face-offs Saturday. Coach Gabinet said the team is working on face-offs in practice. “That’s something we’ve really challenged our center men and our wingers nowadays, that we can get rotated in to take a draw if you get kicked out.”
The team isn’t resting on its success in the Ice Breaker Tournament, however. “Whether it’s after two big wins or after a loss — or two losses — you have to be consistent in your approach to things. You have to constantly look (at) how to keep improving.”
Coach Gabinet said Augustana plays ”extremely hard.” He pointed to the Vikings’ 4-1 exhibition win over North Dakota a few weeks ago as an example. “You can see they like to push two guys all over the ice and (have) a very aggressive style of play.”
>> Watch the full preseason press conference here.
For Fans Attending the Game in Person:
The west lot outside of Baxter, Lot 25, is open to donors only (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 does 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.
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. All concession stands are card only (no cash).
Blue Line Club members and Maverick Room pass holders may enter the arena 90 minutes before puck drop. (Learn more about how to become a Blue Line Club or Maverick Room pass holder here.)
Promotions:
The NCAA Regional banner (Sioux Falls Regional) will be unveiled pregame on Friday.
Series preview articles:
Omaha Hockey Themed Games
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024
Omaha vs. No. 5 Minnesota (Ice Breaker Tournament, Las Vegas, NV)
Final: 2-1 Omaha (OT)
Friday, Oct. 11, 2024
Omaha vs. No. 12 University of Massachusetts
(Ice Breaker Tournament, Las Vegas, NV)
Final: 3-2 Omaha (OT)
No. 15/17 Omaha and No. 14 UMass last faced off almost 20 years ago — in December 2004 in Amherst, Mass. — with Omaha Hockey losing 5-2. The overall series is 5-2-1 in favor of the Mavericks all-time.
UMass has played two games already, a regular-season win against Bentley and an exhibition loss in overtime versus RPI.
Omaha fell 3-2 in overtime to the University of Wisconsin in an exhibition on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Baxter Arena. Omaha had jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from junior forward Tyler Rollwagen before surrendering two goals in the third period.
Coach Mike Gabinet said the team “got some really good feedback from the game.” He added, “It didn’t feel like an exhibition game. It felt like a game almost in February or March, to be honest, with the pace and tempo to that.”
Looking ahead to UMass, Gabinet said, “It will be an exciting test to get those guys to open the season.” He noted they are a ranked team that won a national championship in 2021.
UMass is one of the top 3 college hockey teams by average height (6'1.3"), while Omaha is one of the 5 smallest teams (average height of 5'11.6"). The height difference doesn’t worry Coach Gabinet. “So long as you are ultra-competitive and get inside and have good posture, have good leverage — good things happen, no matter [the] size of the [team] you’re going against.”
For Fans Attending the Games in Person in Las Vegas:
The Omaha vs. UMass game starts at 4 p.m. local time at Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue in Paradise, Nevada. Orleans Arena has a clear bag policy and is cashless for concession purchases. Parking is free for all guests. (Full arena policies.)
Game tickets can be accessed from the Boyd Gaming Ticketmaster site here.
The “Mavs on the Move” event, sponsored by the UNO Alumni Association, will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 in the Dauphine Ballroom in the Orleans Hotel & Casino. Registration has closed. Omaha fans WILL be able to re-enter the arena for the Air Force vs. Minnesota game. Please stop at the box office to have your hand stamped BEFORE leaving the arena (your game ticket will not work for a second entry).
For Fans Not Attending In Person:
All games will be on the Big 10+ Livestream ($).
Hockey is back at Baxter Arena!
The no. 15/17 Omaha Maverick Hockey team faces no. 10/10 Wisconsin Badgers in an exhibition on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Baxter Arena.
Wisconsin Head Coach Mike Hastings is a familiar face, having previously been head coach at MSU-Mankato from 2012 to 2023 after being an assistant for Coach Dean Blais at UNO from 2009-2012. He also served as head coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers (USHL) from 1994 to 2008.
Omaha is 5-9-1 all-time in games versus the Badgers. Their last matchup — a home series at Baxter Arena — resulted in a split, with Omaha losing 5-2 in the Nov. 8 game, and winning 5-2 on Nov. 9.
A rule change in 2021 allowed NCAA teams to schedule each other in exhibition contests, with the results not counting towards official season records. Previously, NCAA teams would typically schedule Canadian college teams or teams from the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) for exhibition matchups. Omaha is scheduled for another exhibition later in the season on Dec. 29 against Manitoba at Baxter Arena.
A ceremony to dedicate “Mike Kemp Ice at Baxter Arena” will be held before the 6:07 p.m. puck drop of the Wisconsin exhibition.
Kemp was an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin from 1983 to 1996 before he was chosen as UNO's first head coach (Kemp also had a stint as the school’s club hockey team coach in the 1975-76 season — read our blog post on that era).
"It’s a real special beginning to this season Saturday with an on-ice ceremony for the dedication of the Mike Kemp Ice, which is really a privilege for us to be there,” Coach Mike Gabinet said. “I’m really excited to start our season off with that.”
Captain Nolan Krenzen addressed the number of new faces on the Maverick squad (14 new players in total for the 2024-25 season — read our feature on the newcomers). “It gives us the opportunity to bring in guys — aside from freshmen — that we wouldn’t normally see — guys who have a lot of college hockey experience — and not just great players, but great people as well, that can contribute to the Omaha culture.”
Coach Gabinet addressed a question about implementing a team culture when half the team is new.
“You have to approach it as this is the one time this team will be together — to make sure you’re doing things step-by-step,” he said. “I do believe that culture is an ‘our’ thing. It’s not a ‘my’ thing. It‘s not a ‘him or her’ thing. It’s an ‘our’ thing. And when you do that, I think that creates ownership with everybody.”
“The group has really come together fast, which is really cool to see,” Krenzen said. “I think we have a good combination of age, skills, and just overall grit.”
“It’s important for us to know where we have been, but set new goals for ourselves — and especially in the last few years, expectations have, I think, grown higher and higher, and we just plan on pushing ourselves to those.”
Coach Gabinet attempted to temper expectations about the exhibition and the Ice Breaker Tournament that follows. “We’ll be potentially playing a lot of ranked teams right off the bat, with Wisconsin coming in, obviously ranked high as well,” he said. “I like it. I would rather have some failures early on, especially in the exhibition game; to be tested. If gives you some really immediate feedback for your players — which I think is a good thing sometimes early on, when you’re developing and learning — to get that immediate feedback from the game.”
“It should be a great start to the season.”
Watch the full preseason press conference here.
For Fans Attending the Game in Person:
The west lot outside Baxter, Lot 25, is open to donors 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.
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. All concession stands are card only (no cash).
Promotions:
None.
Series preview articles:
Chapters:
00:00 - Become a Member
04:27 - Wear Black Give Back
07:03 - Open House & Scrimmage
11:35 - Dinner With The Mavs
15:03 - Our NCHC Preseason Rankings
40:00 - Who Will Win the National Championship?
44:25 - Wisconsin Badgers Preview
Video version: