By Bridget (Weide) Brooks
After finally returning home to Baxter Arena last weekend, Omaha Hockey hits the road again, traveling to Oxford, Ohio, for a two-game National Collegiate Hockey Conference series against (RV) Miami (Ohio) at Goggin Ice Center. The Mavericks and RedHawks are separated by just two points in the NCHC standings, making this weekend another opportunity for Omaha to turn close games into tangible results.
Omaha enters the series at 8-14-0 overall and 4-8-0 in league play, coming off a split with (RV) St. Cloud State. Friday night saw the Mavericks erase an early two-goal deficit and roll to a 6-2 win, while Saturday ended in a 2-1 loss despite stretches of strong play. Miami (12-8-2, 3-7-2 NCHC) also split last weekend, earning a 2-1 overtime win at Arizona State before falling 1-0 the following night.
For Omaha, the theme continues to be progress paired with frustration — a team that feels close, but not yet consistently rewarded.
“We know we’re right there,” senior forward Sam Huo said. “Those tough games, I know those are really good learning opportunities for our group, just ’cause there’s so many new guys here.”
One of the more noticeable developments in recent weeks has been Omaha’s forward chemistry, particularly Huo alongside Trevor Wong and Jérémy Loranger. Huo scored in both games against St. Cloud State and has been involved in key moments offensively.
“Playing with Trevor and ‘Junior,’ Jérémy, there — we had some good chemistry that built off from Cornell,” Huo said. “I think just trying to keep building off that and staying familiar with those guys and building that chemistry.”
Omaha has scored four or more goals in four of its last six games, producing 19 goals during that stretch. While the offense has shown flashes, the Mavericks continue to emphasize starts, an area Huo acknowledged needs improvement.
“I think it’s really good for our group to be able to come back from those situations,” Huo said, referencing early deficits. “But I think we can put ourselves in a better spot… right from the start, just on top of them playing Maverick hockey.”Miami Presents a Different Look
Miami enters the weekend receiving votes in the USCHO.com poll and brings a forward group capable of scoring, led by (the injured) Matteo Giampa (9-10-19), Kocha Delic (7-11-18), and Maximilion Helgeson (9-5-14). In net, Matteo Drobac was named NCHC Goaltender of the Week after stopping 62 of 64 shots at Arizona State.
Head coach Mike Gabinet noted the challenge Miami presents, particularly up front.
“Their forward group’s really impressive to watch,” Gabinet said. “You can tell they can put the puck in the net. A couple of their lines are very big, very physical, they like to get to the net hard.”
Gabinet also pointed to puck management as a key area for Omaha as it looks to convert close games into wins.
“A lot of teams’ offense is coming off of our turnovers,” Gabinet said. “You gotta clean that up to be successful consistently.”
Despite the record, Gabinet emphasized that the internal feel of the team does not mirror the standings.
“The locker room doesn’t really feel like our record,” Gabinet said. “When you’re in so many tight games and you’re one mistake away… you know you’re one good play away from coming out of the right end of that.”
That belief is echoed by Huo, who said confidence remains high even after narrow losses.
“We all know in there what we’re capable of,” Huo said. “We compete so hard against each other every day in practice… I think it just goes with the belief in our group.”
Goaltender Simon Latkoczy continues to progress as he works his way back
“Simon’s back skating here, which is great,” Gabinet said. “We’re definitely seeing him start to increase his workload here, and he’s looking better and better every day.”
Interesting Tidbits
Omaha and Miami most recently met in Oxford during the 2024-25 season, when the Mavericks swept the RedHawks with 3-1 and 4-1 wins.
Miami has won five of its six one-goal games this season and is unbeaten in overtime at 4-0-2.
Omaha has scored first in four of its last six games but has also erased multiple early deficits during that stretch.
Miami’s penalty kill has not allowed a power-play goal in its last four games.
When:
> Friday, 6 p.m. CT at Goggin Ice Center (Oxford, OH)
> Saturday, 5 p.m. CT at Goggin Ice Center (Oxford, OH)
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 ($)
Live Stats:
Game stats will be available here.
On this episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason talk about the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s recent series against St. Cloud State at Baxter Arena (includes their picks for “Player of the Week”). They talk about some “Things You Missed at Baxter Arena” during the series (including Jake Guentzel Bobblehead Night). They present this week’s “Weekly Top 20.” They talk about the current National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) standings. They wrap up the episode with their preview and predictions for Omaha’s upcoming hockey series versus the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Goggin Ice Arena.
> Friday, 6 p.m. CT at Goggin Ice Center (Oxford, OH)
> Saturday, 5 p.m. CT at Goggin Ice Center (Oxford, OH)
The game will be broadcast live on 1290 AM and on The Varsity Network app. Pre-game coverage begins 30 minutes prior to face off with the FNBO Pre-Game Show. “Voice of the Mavs” Mike Vaillancourt will have the play-by-play, with color commentary provided by Terry Leahy.
TV:
The game will be streamed on NCHC.tv ($)
Live Stats:
Game stats will be available here.
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