Omaha vs. Denver: March 4-5, 2016 in Denver

Wow, it's hard to believe that we're already at the end of the regular season. What a roller coaster ride it's been. From starting the season 8-0 at Baxter Arena, to winning 10 non-conference games, many of us (me included) thought this would be "the year" for the Mavs. (Especially after last year's magical run through the playoffs, culminating in the team's first Frozen Four appearance.)

But the departure of Avery Peterson at Christmas seems to have knocked the Mavs off the track. Or something did. Looking at the team from the outside in, it's hard to know what's going on. Dean Blais described the team as "fragile" this week. Phil Aldrich called them a "hot mess."

Whatever's going on, I hope they can turn it around. They certainly have the potential. They need some confidence. And some scoring.

It's going to be tough. Denver is on a roll at the moment. They're 12-1-3 since the start of the year, and are on a seven-game winning streak. The Mavs, on the other hand, are slumping, having been swept by UND and St. Cloud the past two weekends.

No matter what happens this weekend in Denver, the Mavs are going on the road for the playoffs next week. No home ice for us. But we have a chance to improve our positioning in the NCHC with the outcomes of the games this weekend, so there's something to play for!

For your reading enjoyment, the NCHC has prepared a PDF with all the possible seeding possibilities:
http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0093/8954/Seeding_scenarios.pdf

Here's a roundup of this week's media:

Mavs fall to #15 in both national polls:
http://www.omaha.com/uno/mavs-fall-to-no-in-major-hockey-polls/article_145329ce-df2f-11e5-8d7a-4385b03fd36d.html

OMavs.com series preview -- #15 UNO at #7 Denver:
http://www.omavs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31400&ATCLID=210769137

Omaha World-Herald Friday night preview -- "Mavericks seek to right the ship against Denver"
http://www.omaha.com/uno/mavericks-seek-to-right-the-ship-against-denver/article_352c4a9b-a172-544c-aabd-c911f85251aa.html

Denver Post series preview:
http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_29593654/goal-denver-pioneers-hockey-keep-it-rolling

Game Times:
Friday night's game is at 8:37 p.m. Central time.
Saturday night's game is at 8:07 p.m. Central time.

TV Coverage:
Both games will be on NCHC.tv. (That's one thing I like this year compared to last year. Last year's Denver games were not on NCHC.tv. for some reason that I can't remember. Good to be able to watch them on NCHC this time around.)

Radio Coverage: 
Both games will be broadcast on 1180 AM (1180 The Zone 2). Dave Ahlers will provide radio play-by-play and Terry Leahy will provide color commentary. Coverage begins at 8:07 Central Friday and 7:37 p.m. Central Saturday with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show.

Omaha vs. Arizona State: Dec. 19-20, 2015 at Baxter Arena

The UNO Mavericks are back home at Baxter Arena after a bye week. Student-athletes are finished with finals, and before they head home to see their families for Christmas break, they're taking on a non-conference foe, Arizona State, in a Saturday night/Sunday afternoon series. Arizona State is in its first full year in Division I play, but is not to be overlooked. The Mavs are undefeated at Baxter Arena this season, and we want to end the first half of the season strong.

The biggest news during the bye week was the sudden, unexpected departure of forward Avery Peterson. A highly touted recruit (and Mr. Hockey), Peterson had been experiencing a scoring drought his sophomore season. While we haven't heard an official reason for his departure, sources say it's related to his brother's illness, as outlined in this article from a few years ago. Sounds like Avery wants to be closer to home. While his departure is a huge loss for the Mavs, we can't fault him for putting #FamilyFirst.

Here's a roundup of other stories leading up to the series (and game coverage articles will be added later).

Omaha World-Herald story about Avery Peterson's departure:
http://www.omaha.com/uno/avery-peterson-s-departure-shocks-uno-teammates/article_7db8097c-a720-5125-8ca4-58e892c3da88.html

OMavs series preview:
http://www.omavs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31400&ATCLID=210592595

OMavs Saturday night game recap:
http://www.omavs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31400&ATCLID=210593761

Notable quote:

The Mavericks earned their 13th win of the season, the most before the end of December in school history, to improve to 13-3-1 overall.  They are now 7-0-0 at Baxter Arena this season and 9-0-0 in non-conference games with a Sunday 2:07 p.m. rematch pending.  It will be their last non-conference game of the year.

Omaha World-Herald article after Saturday's win -- with THREE power play goals!
http://www.omaha.com/uno/mavericks-becoming-a-force-with-power-play/article_ebf2b5fc-a6c7-11e5-855f-af7e13ca39de.html

Omaha World-Herald article about Sunday's sweep!
http://www.omaha.com/uno/uno-caps-perfect-nonconference-with-sweep-of-arizona-state/article_1228a15a-a768-11e5-a899-2b2ccfca1ff7.html

#UNBEATENATBAXTERARENA

Tickets:
Tickets are plentiful for the matchup, due to the holiday season. You can find tickets for sale in the Mavpuck group or on Ticket Express' website.

TV Coverage:
Both games will be available on NCHC.tv.

Radio Coverage:
The games will be broadcast on 1180 AM (1180 The Zone 2). Dave Ahlers will provide radio play-by-play and Terry Leahy will provide color commentary. The First National Bank Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.