Line Chart – Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 – Omaha vs. Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO)

Friday, Oct. 31, 2025

Omaha vs. #15 Colorado College at Ed Robson Arena (Colorado Springs, CO) 

Final: 3-2 Omaha

Scoring for Omaha:

Tyler Rollwagen (power play)

Tyler Rollwagen (power play)

Marcus Nguyen (empty net)

Series Preview: Omaha at Colorado College, Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2025

   

By Bridget (Weide) Brooks

The Omaha Mavericks hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Colorado Springs to open National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play against the Colorado College Tigers on Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1.

Colorado College is coming off a bye week after sweeping Northern Michigan in Marquette, Mich., winning 2-1 (OT) on Friday, and 5-2 on Saturday.

Colorado Springs is a familiar destination for Omaha Hockey — and a meaningful one. Omaha’s last visit to Ed Robson Arena — in March 2024 — ended with the Mavericks earning their first (and only) trip to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul. 

Senior goaltender and co-captain Simon Latkoczy remembers those emotions well.

“I have good memories from that building for sure,” Latkoczy said. “I like to play in Colorado. I think it’s a cool spot — a nice hockey rink. So it’s always fun to go there. I don’t mind (traveling) there at all. I am excited, and I remember all those emotions we had there when we made it to the Frozen Faceoff.”

The Mavericks (2-2-0) are coming off a hard-fought home series split with UMass — a weekend that saw Omaha bounce back from a tough Friday loss to take a decisive 5-2 victory on Saturday. Head coach Mike Gabinet said he was pleased with the progress his group showed from night to night.

“Anytime early, you want to build on what you did the night before,” Gabinet said. “I think we’re always looking at ways to find those little improvements, find those little tweaks you can make to continue to grow as a team, (and) continue to grow individually.”

“On Saturday, we just really took care of the puck — especially in that first period — and that led to good things happening all night for us,” he added.

This weekend’s matchup marks the start of conference play, and the beginning of the long grind of critical games.

“It’s always exciting to start NCHC play,” Gabinet said. “We’re starting to play for some points, and we’re looking forward to getting on the road. I don’t mind being on the road, especially early in the season — it’s a chance to kind of connect a little bit more as a team, and play in a different environment.”

Colorado College (5-1-0) enters the weekend ranked in the national polls and off to a strong start. Gabinet praised the Tigers’ depth and structure.

“They’re a really structured team that plays well,” he noted. “They’re off to a great start being 5-1 and ranked. I know their coach (Kris Mayotte) has mentioned this might be the most deep team they’ve had, just with some of the personnel they’ve added. So they’ll be ready to go — and so will we. It should be a really good matchup.”

Latkoczy, the reigning NCHC Goaltender of the Year, is expected to start both nights. His presence — and poise — remain a steadying force for a Maverick squad still meshing 15 new players into the lineup.

“Anytime you’ve got a good goaltender, it makes the head coach feel a little more comfortable,” Gabinet said. “When I think about the program, I think about Simon. It’s kind of hard to imagine him not being here — and I think that’s a good thing.”

For his part, Latkoczy downplays the individual accolades.

“The trophies are just something that you get after all the hard work,” he said. “I haven’t had the national championship trophy or even the NCHC trophy yet. Those are goals as well. I’m really kind of a day-by-day-oriented goalie. I just focus on getting better every day and hopefully the success is going to come at the end of the season.”

As for the challenge of playing in front of a loud home crowd in Colorado Springs, Gabinet sees it as fuel rather than distraction.

“Any time you’re on the road in our conference, usually the venues are full and loud and tough to play in,” he said. “That’s kind of fun, right? We want to compete. We want to go make other buildings quiet.”

Watch the full press conference or read the transcript here. 

Interesting Tidbits:

• Series history: Omaha holds an edge in the all-time series against Colorado College (32-15-7), and has won its last four games against the Tigers. Omaha swept Colorado College in Omaha during the 2024-25 season, winning 3-1 and 5-2. The Mavericks clinched a playoff series victory at Ed Robson Arena in 2024 to advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff — a trip that remains a strong memory for returning seniors Jacob Guevin, Simon Latkoczy, Griffin Ludtke, Cam Mitchell, Tyler Rollwagen, and Jacob Slipec.

• Goaltending duel: Expect another marquee matchup in net between Omaha’s Simon Latkoczy and Colorado College’s Kaiden Mbereko. Both are among the top goaltenders in the NCHC, each boasting save percentages north of .920 to start the season. (Mbereko, 2.31 GAA, .915 save percentage; Latkoczy, 3.03 GAA, .911 save percentage)

• Hot start for the Tigers: Colorado College enters the weekend 5-1-0 and nationally ranked (no. 15 in the USCHO poll, no. 16 in the USA Hockey poll), with balanced scoring from all four lines and an improved blue line corps. Head coach Kris Mayotte has called this season’s roster “the deepest team we’ve had.”

• Omaha’s balanced attack: Eleven different Mavericks have already scored this season, highlighting the team’s depth and chemistry as 15 newcomers settle into the lineup.

• Altitude awareness: The Tigers’ home ice sits at 6,033 feet above sea level — one of the highest elevations in college hockey. Conditioning and short shifts will be key factors in Friday’s opener.

Game previews:

UNO Gateway (Tyler Doremus):

https://www.unothegateway.com/sports/hockey/puck-preview-mavericks-open-up-nchc-play-against-colorado-college/article_96a20b00-aaeb-4d68-8dfc-07b3b89220c3.html

Hurrdat Sports (Jordan McAlpine): 

https://hurrdatsports.com/omavs/hockey/series-preview-omaha-hockey-opens-nchc-play-at-colorado-college/

Colorado College Athletics: 

https://cctigers.com/news/2025/10/30/mens-ice-hockey-tigers-open-nchc-play-vs-omaha-at-robson-arena.aspx

Omaha Hockey: 

https://omavs.com/news/2025/10/30/hockey-rv-omaha-set-for-first-road-test-against-no-15-colorado-college.aspx

Omaha World-Herald (Mike Patterson): ($)

https://omaha.com/sports/college/uno/article_0485825e-cc0e-4fad-a7df-257d7eef5cb5.html

When:

> Friday, 8:07 p.m. CT at Ed Robson Arena (Colorado Springs, CO)

> Saturday, 7:07 p.m. CT at Ed Robson Arena (Colorado Springs, CO)

Radio:

Both games 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:

Both games will be streamed on NCHC.tv ($) 

Live Stats:

Live stats can be found here 

On this week’s episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason talk about the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s series split against UMass (includes their picks for “Player of the Week”). They discuss the UNO Alumni Association’s recent Fan Fest at Baxter Arena. They also look at the new addition of a DJ to home Omaha Hockey games. They conclude the episode with their preview and predictions for UNO’s upcoming series against Colorado College at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs.

Next Weekend:

Omaha returns to Baxter Arena to face North Dakota on Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8 for another key NCHC series. Puck drop for both games is at 7:07 p.m. Central.

Omaha Hockey Press Conference: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 (Colorado College Preview)

Oct. 29 Press Conference Transcript

 

Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, good to see everybody. Excited to get on the road for the first time this year and head up to Colorado College. Again, just really positive weekend looking back against UMass there. I thought (we) played pretty solid both nights. Obviously nice to get a big win on Saturday there and clean up a couple things from the weekend heading into this week against Colorado College.

 
Emma Goldstein (Sports Information, Omaha Athletics):

Any questions for head coach Mike Gabinet?

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Just talk about the start of the conference season, Coach, and Colorado College specifically.

 
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, it’s always exciting to start an NCHU play here. We’re starting to play for some points, and we’re looking forward to getting on the road as well. I don’t mind being on the road, especially early in the season, just a chance to kind of connect a little bit more as a team, and get a chance to play in a different environment. So I’m looking forward to that. And obviously, we all know how important points are in the NCHC. They’re hard to come by there, so you’ve got to be ready to go right from opening puck drop on Friday night..

 

Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:

Since you’ve got Simon here, did you feel Simon and the defensive group gave you something on Saturday that maybe wasn’t quite there on Friday? And what kind of help does that give you going into this first conference series? 

 

Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, I think especially early here, you want to, anytime early, you want to build on what you did the night before. I think we’re always looking at ways to find those little improvements, find those little tweaks you can make to continue to grow as a team, (to) continue to grow individually there and like I said, when you watch the game back on Friday there, I liked a lot of our play there. I think we had three goals go off our own players, which is pretty unusual. But then, you know, sometimes that’s how you score as well, right? So that’s going to happen in the game of hockey. But again, that’s why you have to look at the process and, you know, how are they generating those goals? What can we do differently to be a little bit better? So we’ve definitely done that, and we’ll continue to work on that. And also not beat yourself up too much at certain times too, if that is, you know, a little bit of a fortunate bounce or something for the other team. But again, I thought Saturday (we) just really took care of the puck — especially in that first period – really well, (to) start their transition which led to good things happening all night for us.

 

Terry Leahy, Learfield Sports:

What would be the coach of Colorado College style that you’re looking at, at least out on the ice? And then maybe I’ll follow up with (that this is) another outstanding NCAA goaltender matchup coming up again. We saw one last weekend right here in this barn. But talk about Colorado College and the way they play.

 
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, they’re a really structured team that plays well. Obviously, they’re off to a great start being 5-1 and ranked, and all that good stuff there. So, again, just (watched) them quickly. Not a ton’s changed from previous years there. They’re obviously sticking to their structure that they play. I know their coaches mentioned, I think maybe numerous times, this is the most deep team they’ve maybe had, just with some of the personnel they’ve added to their team. So, they’ll be ready to go and so will we. So, it should be a really good matchup.

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Mike, since Simon is here, let’s talk about (how) there’s so much movement of players in college hockey these days, and when Simon said he was coming back this season, how did that make you feel and just having somebody to build around like that?

Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, well anytime you got a good goaltender I think it always makes the head coach feel a little more comfortable and Simon’s done that — not only for you know three years for here now, into his fourth season here so again, right, just when I think about the program, I think about Simon.

 

You know, I think he kind of just goes hand in hand with some of the guys we’ve been fortunate to have here for so long. It’s kind of hard to imagine them not being here. And I think that’s a good thing. You know, those are guys that you really lean on, you know, and you really value their opinion on things and you communicate with and you really know they care as much about you and the team as you care about them. And I think that’s something really special in today’s environment, especially in today’s college environment. You don’t see that very often, and I think that makes them really special. 

 

And like I said, I’m sure you guys will ask him, but (it was) just pretty cool to have his family, his mom here and his grandma and grandpa here, (for the) first time in four years last weekend. Pretty special, right, to see those guys here and just to see them smile and take in practices and the games and get to see the facility and the university and Omaha in general was pretty cool, for me as a coach. So that was pretty special as well.

 

Terry Leahy, Learfield Sports:

Coach, with the defense, defensemen from the net out, the forwards, talk about how it just permeates a team with confidence with an outstanding goaltender. And you had Dan Ellis back in your days wearing the Maverick sweater. Talk about, well, it just gives you the confidence to get on the attack even more.

 

Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, as a head coach, you never want to see mistakes or turnovers or not managing the puck. But at the end of the day, that’s hockey, right? There’s going to be times where (your) guys don’t execute exactly what you’re trying to do. And that’s going to happen throughout a game. Even on Saturday, we were really good for probably, you know, 40, 45 minutes of the game. But there’s those 15 minutes that, you know, the guys are going to make those those either mental or physical mistakes. And that’s where you need a goalie to help you out. And Simon’s been doing that for a long time. And especially on Saturday, there’s some key saves at the right time can really allow yourself a reset and you’re not necessarily down a goal. And I think that always helps teams be successful.

 

Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:

Saturday was a big win obviously — and for fans and the media who maybe focus on those big wins What’s one under-the-radar takeaway from that UMass series that you’d like them to focus on — and what’s one thing on the to-do list for Colorado College that they should pay attention to?

 

Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, I think some of the growth just that I could see, obviously I see these guys every day, but I could see it individually just in confidence a little bit. And I think that’s always, you know, people talk about confidence. I believe confidence is earned. And I could just see all that work that these guys have been doing day in and day out start to shine through. You can just tell the way a guy’s moving, the way he’s handling the puck. You can just see that confidence growing, the way he’s making reads a little bit quicker So I thought that was maybe something that you know was a really positive thing to see as a lot of guys are getting used to a new environment there, 

 

And then just to the second part of your question, focused on for Colorado College. Again, I think just the one thing I think you saw in UMass and you’ll see in (Colorado College) is just the level of play right now. I mean, I thought that was two really good hockey games. I mean, you were talking about impressive hockey players out there. It is big. It is fast. There’s no time and space. You know, just even talking to some of those parents, we can talk to the parents. They’ve just never seen hockey live — that their kids have been a part of — that fast and at that high of level. And I think that’s pretty awesome for the fans of Omaha, for college hockey in general. Just the level of play you’re seeing right now in college hockey, to me, is another level than we’ve seen before.

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Mike, have you talked to the team about the probable hostile atmosphere you’re going to encounter this weekend? 

 

Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, exactly. I think some guys have been there before, and it’s always a fun place to play. I think any time you’re on the road in our conference, usually the other venues are full and loud and tough to play in, which I think is kind of fun, right? And I think that’s why we play the game. We want to compete. We want to go make other buildings quiet. And our goal will be no different this weekend to go there and be successful. 

 

Emma Goldstein (Sports Information, Omaha Athletics):

Thank you. Questions for Simon?

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Simon, just your general thoughts on how the season’s gone so far. I know it’s just the start, (with the) Mavs being 2-2.

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

I think it’s been good so far. As Coach said, like early in the season you kind of want to build on from the previous games, and I think that we are doing it. We have almost a whole new team, you know, so it takes some time to get where we want to be, but I think that we are doing a good job in the locker room and the staff as well to kind of set (us up) for success.

 

Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:

The last time you were on Colorado Springs was that exciting playoff series that propelled you to the Frozen Face-Off. Do you draw on the emotions of that last time that you were out there as you’re preparing for this series?

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

I have good memories from that building for sure. I like to play in Colorado. I think it’s a cool spot, (a) nice hockey rink. So it’s always fun to go there. I don’t mind to travel there at all. So yes, I am excited and I remember all that emotions that we had there when we made it — (not to the) Frozen Four, but Frozen Face-Off. 

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Coach mentioned it, Simon, just talk about playing in front of — was it your mom and your grandparents — this past weekend? And they hadn’t seen you play in four years.

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

It was nice. It was kind of weird because I’m not used to having someone here to watch me. So it was a little weird (the) first couple of days. It was nice. It was great and I’m really happy that they could come see me play. It means a lot for them and they watch every game at 2 a.m. at night. Even (my) grandparents, and the whole family does. So seeing me live meant a lot for them and it was a little emotional for them as well. So I love that. 

 

Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:

Did you show them around Omaha, and if so, what were the highlights?

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, well I showed them the locker room, the rink, and the school. We went to the zoo. So that was something, and they saw the downtown as well. So they were here for six days, you know, like I also need to focus on hockey and we are at the rink and in school all the time. So they made their own program kind of, but they just wanted to see me play, you know, and they did. So that was nice.

 

Terry Leahy, Learfield Sports:

Speaking of concentration, Simon, during the stoppage and play, media timeout, you’re going to go off kind of along the goal line, usually to your right, and go down on one knee and lift the mask up. What are you thinking about? Maybe it’s not this dramatic at all. It’s nothing. But what are you thinking about at that point in the game when the world’s fastest sport is in a stoppage like that, and you’re just kind of off to the side, just focusing on the next shift?

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, I just try to kind of get back to my body, focus on the breath work a little bit and a couple of affirmations and then I go back to the net and I’m ready for the next puck. But it’s just a little mindset reset for me, nothing big. I don’t put too much pressure on me when I’m down there during the media timeout.

 

Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:

You earned the NCHC Goaltender of the Year honors last season, and now that conference play is starting, is it a reset for you, or are you looking to defend that title? 

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

Hard question. I don’t know even if they would give it to me twice in a row, even if I was the best. 

 

You know, the trophies are just something that you get back after all the hard work. But there are other success that like can mean maybe even a lot or more, and yeah I (want to) focus on just on the teamwork now and you know, like if I’m gonna win NCHC Goaltender again, great. If I’m gonna win the Mike Richter award, that would be great too. I haven’t had that one yet, but I haven’t had the national championship trophy or even the NCHC trophy yet. So those are goals as well, and I don’t really want to look too much ahead and focus on winning some — whether individual or team trophy — I think it’s, you know, I’m really kind of day-by-day oriented goalie. So I just focus on getting better every day and hopefully the success is going to come (at) the end of the season. 

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Simon, as a co-captain, do you have to get after the guys at all? What’s your role as a co-captain? Because a goalie having that role is fairly rare.

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

I think that the guys are great, the teammates are great and especially my other captains are doing a great job. Griffin (Ludkte) is a great captain, and Rolly (Tyler Rollwagen) and Mitchie (Cam Mitchell) are doing an unbelievable job as well. So I think that we really kind of fit in well together and everyone has maybe a little different opinions and ideas, and I just think that you can see it on the ice as other teammates behave. It’s a really well-behaved and disciplined team, I would say. I think that as we just get more into the season, it’s going to be even better and better. But I really think that we are doing a good job together. And yeah Griffin is doing an unbelievable job as well.

 

Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:

Speaking from that leadership role, do you have any message for the fans in the community about how we can support you this upcoming season?

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

I think they are just showing up to the games, that’s great. I mean, we see them, we hear them, and it’s always nice to have a full barn here and they give us a great support (the) whole year, even in the previous seasons. I mean, I think this past weekend was great as well. So I think they are doing a great job. We are happy to have them here and hear them. And yeah, no, it’s been good. I think they are doing a good job.

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Have the Canadian players talked you into cheering for Toronto in the World Series? 

 

Simon Latkoczy (Senior Goaltender, Omaha Hockey):

Yeah, actually I have a family that lives in Toronto, so I cheer for our Blue Jays as well. 

 

Mike Patterson, Omaha World-Herald:

Got it. 

 

 

MavPuckCast Podcast – S8 Ep 7: Omaha Hockey Splits, Fan Fest, New DJ at the Games, Colorado College Series Predictions

Season 8, Episode 7:

Omaha Hockey Splits, Fan Fest, New DJ at the Games, Colorado College Series Predictions

On this episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason talk about the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s series split against UMass (includes their picks for “Player of the Week”). They discuss the UNO Alumni Association’s recent Fan Fest at Baxter Arena. They also look at the new addition of a DJ to home Omaha Hockey games. They conclude the episode with their preview and predictions for UNO’s upcoming series against Colorado College at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs. 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 - UMass Series Analysis 17:48 - Players of the Week 21:47 - Wahoo Distillery 23:33 - Fan Fest 25:54 - New DJ at Games 37:57 - Colorado College Series Preview Follow MavPuck.com online! https://www.mavpuck.com   / mavpuckpage     / mavpuck     / mavpuck     / mavpuckcast  

Aidan de la Gorgendiere named NCHC Defenseman of the Week

Omaha Hockey’s junior defenseman Aidan de la Gorgendiere (Langley, British Columbia, Canada) has been named the KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference Defenseman of the Week honors following a career night at Baxter Arena, the National announced Tuesday. 

de la Gorgendiere was a force on both ends of the ice in the Mavericks’ series against No. 13 UMass. On Friday, Oct. 24, he notched one assist, two blocks and a season-high five shots in Omaha’s hard-fought 5-4 loss at home.

He followed that performance up on Saturday night, helping lead the Mavericks to a thrilling 5-2 upset over the Minutemen with one goal, two assists and a block.  

Over the two-game series, de La Gorgendiere fired off eight shots and set new season- and career-highs with three points in Saturday’s victory at Baxter Arena. 

Across the first four games of the 2025-26 season, he has tallied two goals, four assists and three blocks. 

Former Omaha Hockey junior defenseman Dylan Gratton had been the most recent NCHC Defenseman of the Week (in January 2025) for his performance in a sweep of Miami. Gratton had two goals (including the game winner), one block and was +2 in the series.

Omaha vs UMass Weekend Recap (Oct. 24-25, 2025)

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025

UMass 5, Omaha 4

Omaha mounted a strong comeback (down 3‑1, then tied 4‑4) only to lose in the final minute. UMass showed resilience on the road and found a way to win a tight one.

• Period scoring: UMass 2‑1‑2 = 5; Omaha 1‑2‑1 = 4.

• Key moment: With 58.2 seconds left, UMass’s junior forward Jack Musa scored the game‑winner to lift his team to the 5‑4 victory. 

• Standout performances:

  • For Omaha: Freshman forward Luke Woodworth opened scoring early. Goaltender Šimon Latkoczy made 31 saves. 

  • For UMass: Musa’s clutch goal; the team out‑shot Omaha 36–33 and converted 1‑of‑2 on the power play. 

Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025

Omaha 5, UMass 2

Omaha bounced back after a heart‑breaker the night before, showing poise and strong start. UMass, despite being ranked (#13) and favored, allowed too many early chances, undermining their road performance.

• Period scoring: Omaha 2‑0‑3 = 5; UMass 0‑1‑1 = 2. 

• Key stats:

  • Omaha struck early with two first‑period goals (including one on a 5‑on‑3 power play). 

  • UMass tied it 2‑2 early in the third but Omaha scored three unanswered goals to seal it.

  • Shot attempts: UMass 30, Omaha 25. 

    Power play: UMass 1‑of‑3; Omaha 1‑of‑5. 

• Standout performances:

  • Omaha: Forward Maxime Pellerin opened the scoring and had a multi‑goal weekend. Goaltender Simon Latkoczy had 28 saves. 

  • UMass: Freshman Václav Nestrasil had the goal and assist to bring them into the game

Line Chart – Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 – Omaha vs. UMass

Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025

Omaha vs. #13 UMass at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE) 

Final: 5-2 Omaha

Scoring for Omaha:

Maxime Pellerin

Aidan de la Gorgendiere (power play)

Myles Hilman

Marcus Nguyen (empty net)

Brett Hyland

 

Line Chart – Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 – Omaha vs. UMass

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025

Omaha vs. #13 UMass at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE) 

Final: 5-4 UMass

Scoring for Omaha:

Luke Woodworth

Maxime Pellerin

Tyler Rollwagen (power play)

Maxime Pellerin

Series Preview: Omaha vs. UMass, Oct. 24-25, 2025

  

By Bridget (Weide) Brooks

No. 13 UMass comes to town for Homecoming on the weekend of the 10th anniversary of the opening of Baxter Arena. (Omaha Hockey faced Air Force on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015 in the first-ever game at the new arena, winning 4-2.)

The Mavericks last faced the Minutemen at the Ice Breaker Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., on Oct. 11, 2024. Omaha prevailed 3-2 in overtime as senior forward Zach Urdahl scored twice in the contest, including the OT game winner.

The overall series is 6-2-1 in favor of the Mavericks. UMass is 4-1 on the season, most recently losing to Northeastern last Friday night (4-2) and beating Bentley in overtime on Saturday (5-4).

Omaha is 1-1-0. The Mavericks had a bye week last weekend, and split with Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 10-11, winning Friday 6-2 and losing 4-1 Saturday in a penalty-filled contest. 

The series is expected to be a goaltending duel. Senior Omaha netminder Simon Latkoczy, from Trencin, Slovakia, has a 2.52 goals against average and a .928 save percentage. The Minutemen’s junior goaltender, Michael Hrabal, from Prague, Czechia, has a 2.40 GAA and a .924 save percentage. 

The series marks a return for Hrabal to Omaha. He played for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) during the 2022-23 season.

Coach Mike Gabinet met with the media earlier this week to preview the series.

“(We’re) excited to get back playing here this weekend, coming off a bye weekend,” Gabinet said. 

The off weekend was helpful to get some players back who were injured in early season games, he said.

“We got hit a little bit by the injury bug, so it’s been nice to try to get some guys healthy for this upcoming weekend,” Gabinet noted. “But that's probably the only positive about being off, I think. I think once you get rolling, guys want to play. We've been practicing for a long time, and (we) want to get playing in games here. I think guys are excited to kind of just get rolling here and playing games every single weekend.”

Gabinet said he likes the impact the experience from the Mankato series had on the team, especially the new players.

“I think you can tell guys are getting that kind of real-life feedback and realizing just how you have to play to be successful, and where you have to go on the ice to be successful. So, I think that's been a positive note to get some of that real-life feedback and then just continue to work on our game,” Gabinet noted. “We still have lots of things that we have to improve on.”

UMass will be a “challenge,” he noted.

“They're off to a good start. I think they're 4-1 and played some good hockey, so it'll be a good challenge here, but a challenge we'll be ready to face, and (we’re) looking forward to another good opponent coming into Baxter Arena,” Gabinet said.

The team is looking forward to another home series at Baxter Arena.

“I think they can tell the energy's there. And I think they go a little bit from that ‘uncomfortable feeling’ a little bit just to being at home, being in front of a crowd. And now I think they're starting to roll into that just excitement period there, where you're feeding off the energy, you're enjoying it.

“They're getting more comfortable skating in the arena,” he added. “The guys love it. You can tell the guys love it here. They love the city. They love the university. They love each other, (their) teammates. And so, just to top it all off, we get to play in one of the best buildings in the country with some of the best fans in the country. So it's all positive, that's for sure.”

Junior defenseman Aidan de la Gorgendiere talked about his experience with the Maverick hockey team so far.

“It's been a lot of fun. Obviously, coming in here at the start of August, (it was) a lot of new faces. It felt pretty uncomfortable. I think that was a big word that a lot of people, a lot of new guys used,” he said. “But ever since coming in here, the guys have welcomed us with open arms, and it's been a blast.”

De la Gorgendiere was an assistant captain for one year and the captain for two years for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. He talked about how he applies those leadership skills to his time in Omaha.

“I think I try and lead by how I play on the ice. Obviously, I think I'll say a word or two here and there, but yeah, I don't want to step on anyone's toes,” he said. “Obviously, our leadership group is unbelievable, so it's a work in progress. So yeah, I just try and chime in when I can and play good hockey,”

Even though 15 of the team’s players are new to the Mavericks, several of them have ties from their previous playing experience. De la Gorgendiere played with Marc Lajoie, Brett Hyland, and Sean Tschigerl on the University of Alberta Golden Bears team last year, which he said helped ease the transition to Omaha.

“There's been a couple of us that we’ve kind of all played together, crossed paths. So, I kind of knew most of the guys coming in to this year — the new guys I guess — playing with Marc, Sean and Brett last year, it's been awesome. It's been a lot of fun,” de la Gorgendiere said.

The difference between USports college hockey and NCAA college hockey was apparent, he said.

“I think the biggest challenge is probably the speed. It's quite a bit quicker and obviously the talent (is different). There's talent on the first and fourth line and every line in between there. I think it's just being sharp every single day, and trying to get better.”

“I think our mentality is just approaching every weekend the same, coming out and doing, working on our game plan, and executing what we've talked about in our dressing room,” de la Gorgendiere added.

On a more personal note, de la Gorgendiere honors his mom’s memory by writing her name on his hockey sticks.

“I lost my mom when I was 17, so... yeah, I play for her every game, and I've kind of done that since she passed away. It's just a kind of reminder that she's always with me, and yeah, I try and play for her every day,” he said.

Watch the full press conference here. 

Interesting Tidbits:

• The Minutemen are TALL. With an average height of 6'1.8”, UMass is the tallest team in Division I hockey. They also sport one of the tallest goaltenders, Michael Hrabel (6'7")
• Omaha ranks in the top 10 teams for shortest players, with an average height of 5'11.73". Simon Latkoczy’s height is listed as 6'0”.
• UMass is traveling more than 1,000 miles to Omaha for this series — the longest road trip of their regular season.
• Both teams have been bit by the injury bug. For the Minutemen, injuries have led to Daniel Jencko being paired with Jack Galanek and Vaclav Nestrasil this weekend. For Omaha, Sam Huo and Joe Gramer are expected to be out of the lineup.
• Seven different players have scored so far this season for the Mavericks: Marcus Nguyen, Spencer Sova, Sean Tschigerl, Marc Lajoie, Aidan de la Gorgendiere, Jacob Slipec, and Maxime Pellerin.
• UMass made the NCAA tournament last year, appearing in the Fargo Regional. They beat the Minnesota 5-4 on Thursday, March 27 before falling to eventual national champion Western Michigan 2-1 on Saturday, March 29 to end their season.

Game previews:

• Greenfield Recorder (Greenfield, MA): https://recorder.com/2025/10/23/umass-hockey-prepares-for-tough-test-against-nchcs-nebraska-omaha/
• Hurrdat Sports (Jordan McAlpine): https://hurrdatsports.com/omavs/hockey/series-preview-omaha-hockey-returns-from-bye-against-no-13-umass/
• UMass Athletics: https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/10/22/hockey-13-massachusetts-travels-to-nebraska-for-a-pair-against-omaha
• Omaha Hockey: https://omavs.com/news/2025/10/23/hockey-welcomes-no-13-umass-for-homecoming-weekend.aspx

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.

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 is a FanFest on Holland Ice at Baxter Arena from 5-6:45 p.m. on Friday night. The first 300 fans at the FanFest will receive a UNO-branded cowbell.

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. 

On this episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason talk about the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s series against Minnesota State-Mankato (including their picks for “Player of the Week”). They talk about the recent Dinner With The Mavs event the UNO Hockey Blue Line Club held. They conclude the episode with a preview, analysis, and predictions for the upcoming regular season series against UMass at Baxter Arena!

And if you missed it in the Minnesota State-Mankato series preview, 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 starts NCHC conference play with a road series in Colorado Springs, CO. The Mavericks will take on the Colorado College Tigers at 8 p.m. Central on Friday, Oct. 31 and 7 p.m. Central on Saturday, Nov. 1.