Omaha’s first series this season against an unranked opponent delivered exactly what the Mavericks needed: a reset, a response, and a road split. Yale edged Omaha 2-1 on Friday despite a 31-17 Maverick shot advantage, but the Mavs bounced back Saturday with a composed, structured 3-1 win powered by freshman scoring, timely defending, and a 28-save performance from Simon Latkoczy. Omaha scored first in both games and Saturday’s three-goal night marked the team’s highest goal output since Nov. 1 at Colorado College.
Friday, Nov. 28:
Yale 2, Omaha 1
Omaha came out buzzing and was rewarded just 1:10 into the game when Maxime Pellerin buried his team-leading sixth goal off a clean feed from Griffin Ludtke and Luke Woodworth
The Mavs controlled nearly every important metric — including a 31-17 edge in shots and 53.4% on face-offs — but couldn’t solve Yale goaltender Jack Stark, who stopped 30 shots and turned aside Omaha’s late flurry of chances in the final minute. (Stark was named the ECAC Goaltender of the Week for his performance on Friday night).
Yale tied the game midway through the first, then took the lead at 11:47 of the second on a Donovan Frias strike that held up as the game-winner
Omaha had three power-play chances, including two in the opening minutes of the third, but went 0-for-3 despite generating multiple looks from the points and slot.
Period scoring: Omaha 1-0-0 = 1; Yale 1-1-0 = 2
Key storyline: Omaha’s special teams drought loomed large — a pair of early third-period power plays created momentum but not goals, and Stark’s stops during that stretch preserved Yale’s one-goal margin.
Goaltending:
• Simon Latkoczy: 15 saves on 17 shots (58:07)
• Jack Stark: 30 saves on 31 shots
Saturday, Nov. 29:
Omaha 3, Yale 1
Yale made a big push late in the second, outshooting Omaha 12-8 in the period, but Latkoczy was excellent, turning aside all 12 shots and holding the 1-0 lead into the third.
The Mavs doubled the advantage early in the final frame when Sean Tschigerl spun and fired a shot through traffic at 1:50, with Marcus Nguyen and Brett Hyland collecting assists
Yale pulled the goalie with five minutes left, but Omaha slammed the door on a Bulldog comeback when Marcus Broberg lofted a rink-length empty-netter at 15:33 to make it 3-0.
Yale spoiled Latkocy’s shutout with a goal with just 18 seconds left in the game, but it didn’t change the outcome. Omaha finished with a 34-30 shot edge, produced strong defensive-zone exits, and went a clean 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Key storyline: Latkoczy’s 12-save second period held momentum firmly on Omaha’s side, and Tschigerl’s early third-period strike provided the separation the Mavs had missed the night before.
Goaltending:
• Simon Latkoczy: 29 saves on 30 shots
• Noah Pak: 32 saves on 34 shots
Weekend Themes & Notes
Shot volume (and structure) returned:Omaha outshot Yale 65-46 across the weekend and owned long stretches of possession, especially Friday when the Mavs spent most of the third period in the offensive zone.
Freshmen delivered:
• Marcus Nguyen: primary assist on the Saturday insurance goal
• Joel Plante: assist on Briere’s goal
Omaha went 0-for-4 on the weekend — but the penalty kill was perfect, holding Yale to 0-for-3.
Latkoczy found his rhythm again:
The senior stopped 44 of 47 shots on the weekend, including nearly recording his first shutout of the season on Saturday night.
Strong faceoff weekend overall:
Friday: 53.4%
Saturday: 44.6% (Yale’s David Chen drove their advantage)
Up Next…
Omaha is off this week and then travels to North Dakota on Dec. 12-13 for its final non-conference series of 2025. With Saturday’s win snapping a three-game skid, the Mavericks will look to build on improved 5-on-5 play, freshman contributions, and renewed confidence in goal as they push toward the semester break.
