On paper, UND is a better team in all regards. Omaha has had success in Grand Forks and tends to do better on the road than at home. They have been playing better of late and I think they can find a way to steal a game. But UND will not go quietly and they have the fire power to overwhelm the Mavericks.
Jon’s Pick: UND in 2
North Dakota has outscored their opponents in NCHC play 96-58 this season. By the same token, Omaha has been outscored by NCHC opponents 86-57. If these numbers hold, and UND freshmen goalie Jan Špunar continues his sub-2.0 GAA average, it will be a tough weekend for the Mavericks.
#2 Denver vs. Miami
Jason’s Pick: DU in 2
Denver wants a #1 seed and will need a strong showing against the RedHawks to begin a climb in the national rankings. Even then it may not be enough. DU is a fast team with a lot of skill. If they get solid goaltending they are a team to fear.
Jon’s Pick: DU in 2
Miami has only won 2 out of their last 8 games. The month of February has not been kind to the RedHawks. The RedHawks have had a good run this season, going 18-14-2 overall and winning 9 games in NCHC play after having not tallied a single win in conference play in the 2024-25 campaign. But Denver has one of the top D-corps in the NCHC. DU goaltender Johnny Hicks has a 1.14 goals against average and .958 save percentage.
#3 Western Michigan vs. Colorado College
Jason’s Pick: Western in 2
Western Michigan is ready to defend their title. But they are likely to be placed in a tough bracket. Winning the NCHC might be their only ticket to a good draw. But CC has a goaltender who is known for stealing games and is playing his final collegiate hockey games. This is certainly an upset watch.
Jon’s Pick: Western in 2
Western Michigan has too much firepower on the roster. They have multiple lines that will come at you in waves. Breakout performer William Whitelaw could have a big weekend against the Tigers. I don't think Kaidan Mbereko will be enough in net for CC to stop the onslaught at Lawson.
#4 Minnesota Duluth vs. St Cloud State
Jason’s Pick: SCSU in 3
Duluth is trending down the second half of the season. They go the way the Plante family goes. If they catch fire it could be a bloodbath for Duluth. SCSU has surprised many and look to keep the run going. Expect a defensive battle, could be three 2-1 games.
Jon’s Pick: UMD in 2
Observers typically look at the 4-5 matchup as the “upset special” in the NCHC playoffs. And while that is a possibility between these in-state rivals, I think the effectiveness of UMD's top line featuring Hobey Baker nominees (and brothers) Zam Plante and Max Plante will likely decide this series. If the games are tight, sophomore Slovakian goaltender Adam Gajan (2.27 GAA, .905 SV%) could prove to be the difference for UMD in net.
Omaha returned home to face No. 8 Denver at Baxter Arena, looking to build momentum in the final stretch of conference play. The Mavericks competed tightly for long stretches both nights but were undone by key momentum swings, falling 5-2 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday as the Pioneers extended their unbeaten streak.
Friday, Feb. 13, 2026:
No. 8 Denver 5, Omaha 2
Omaha struck first Friday night, but Denver’s four-goal surge across the second and third periods proved decisive in a 5-2 Pioneers victory.
The Mavericks opened the scoring at 5:20 of the first period when Samuel Huo capitalized on the power play, giving Omaha early momentum against a top-10 opponent. Denver answered later in the period, and the teams battled evenly through much of the second.
The turning point late in the period. The Pioneers took a face-off in the Omaha defensive zone with five seconds left in the period. Clarke Caswell scored at 19:59 to give Denver a 2-1 lead heading into the locker room.
The Pioneers added two more goals early in the final period to extend the lead to 4-1. Ryan McCleary netted his first goal as a Maverick midway through the third to pull Omaha within two, but Denver sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the closing minutes.
Omaha finished with 29 shots on goal. Simon Latkoczy made 34 saves in the effort.
Period scoring: Omaha 1-0-1 = 2 Denver 1-1-3 = 5
Key storyline: A late second-period goal shifted the game state, forcing Omaha to chase against a deep, disciplined Denver lineup.
Goaltending: • Simon Latkoczy (Omaha): 34 saves • Johnny Hicks (Denver): 27 saves
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026:
No. 8 Denver 3, Omaha 1
Omaha tightened defensively Saturday and carried a 1-1 tie into the third period, but an early Denver goal in the final period proved decisive in a 3-1 result.
After a scoreless first period, Denver opened the scoring midway through the second. Omaha responded on the power play at 12:11 when Jérémy Loranger finished a clean man-advantage opportunity to even the game at 1-1 heading into the third.
The Pioneers regained the lead just 1:22 into the final period, capitalizing on early pressure. Omaha pushed back throughout the third, generating 13 shots in the period and finishing with 27 overall, but Denver’s defensive structure held.
An empty-net goal at 19:29 sealed the 3-1 final.
Omaha went 1-for-3 on the power play and held Denver scoreless in four man-advantage opportunities.
Period scoring: Omaha 0-1-0 = 1 Denver 0-1-2 = 3
Key storyline: Omaha carried play for stretches and won the special teams battle, but an early third-period goal forced the Mavericks back into chase mode.
Goaltending: • Simon Latkoczy (Omaha): 21 saves • Johnny Hicks (Denver): 26 saves
Takeaways:
Play to the whistle and get off to a good start: A Denver goal at 19:59 of the second period Friday and a Pioneer goal 1:22 into the third Saturday shifted momentum at critical points in both games.
Special teams: Omaha scored a power-play goal in each contest and held Denver scoreless on Saturday’s four man-advantage opportunities.
Be resilient: The Mavericks were resilient in both games, particularly Saturday, when they carried shot volume and played from even ice deep into the third period.
Goaltending workload: Latkoczy faced 61 shots across the weekend and kept Omaha within striking distance in both contests.
Up Next…
Omaha travels to face Arizona State next weekend in a pivotal conference matchup as the Mavericks work to avoid staying in ninth place in the NCHC. (Only the top 8 teams in the conference will make the playoffs.)
With only two more home series left, this weekend Omaha gets a crack at a Denver team that’s rolling, sitting near the top of the league, and very much still in the hunt for home ice. Omaha (10-18-0 and 6-12-0 in conference) is currently at the bottom of the NCHC standings with 18 points and chasing Arizona State (next week’s opponent) for eighth place. The ninth place team at the end of the season misses the playoffs. Omaha doesn’t want to be in that position.
No. 8 Denver (17-11-3 and 13-6-1 in conference) is currently in second place in the NCHC with 40 points, within striking distance of first-place North Dakota (42 points).
The Pioneers enter the weekend unbeaten in their last five games and ranked in the top 10. But that’s nothing new for Omaha — they’ve shown they can knock off ranked opponents on a winning streak. Omaha’s win on Jan. 31 at then-No. 3 Western Michigan gave them six wins versus ranked teams this season. The Mavericks split on the weekend, a series that started with a 5-2 loss and ended with Omaha winning Saturday 4-1 at Lawson Arena. Saturday’s game found Omaha playing the way they want to: detailed, structured, and resilient.
“To stick with it and have the resiliency as a group to keep showing up and battling and come away with a huge win was massive,” Coach Mike Gabinet said. “Not only are you getting three points, but beating that opponent…it’s just nice to get some momentum.”
The “details” theme showed up again and again in Wednesday’s press conference — first from freshman forward Marcus Nguyen, who called this weekend “playoff hockey,” where “every shift matters…every period matters,” and it comes down to details.
“They’re a skilled team over there — you give credit where credit’s due — but it’s going to come down to those details,” Nguyen added.
Coach Gabinet echoed the same message from the coach’s perspective: Denver has talent, but Omaha’s focus has to stay on how the team is playing.
“How are we playing the game?” Gabinet said. “Focus on ourselves here and making sure we’re prepared to go, and bring the best version of ourselves ready to compete and battle.”
He said the growth has been visible over the past several weeks.
“You can just see guys getting more comfortable. You can see guys growing and getting better…you can see the confidence coming,” he added.
(And, in a very relatable moment, Gabinet admitted he started scoreboard-watching the NCHC race on Friday night…then stopped, because it was making him nervous.)
Nguyen has become one of the clearest examples of Omaha’s “do the right things first” identity this season. He talked about learning to prioritize the non-glamorous parts of the game — forechecking, backchecking, the little habits — before “the cool tricks and the goals.” He’s still producing anyway: Nguyen is tied for the team lead with eight goals, and he scored in both games against Western Michigan.
Nguyen is just one of Omaha’s offensive threats. Nineteen of the 26 skaters who have played this season have at least one goal, and seven different Mavericks have five or more. Luke Woodworth leads the team with 17 points (4G, 13A), while Maxime Pellerin has 16 points (8G, 8A) and is tied with Nguyen for that eight-goal team lead.
The Pioneers are coming off a rivalry weekend where they went 3-0-1 against Colorado College this season and locked up the Gold Pan trophy for the seventh straight year. They’ve gotten quality goaltending lately from freshman Johnny Hicks, who’s unbeaten in his first five career decisions (4-0-1), with a 0.87 GAA and a .967 save percentage on the season.
Denver has scoring from junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp. He leads all NCAA defensemen in goals (16) and is tied for the national lead among defensemen in points (28), and his 132 shots rank first among all NCAA skaters.
The Pioneers are 4-0-1 in their last five games, scoring 3.4 goals per game and allowing 2.3.
The last time these teams met, they played to a 3-3 tie on Jan. 31, 2025 before Omaha won the extra point in a 16-round shootout, and then Denver responded the next night with 11 unanswered goals in an 11-2 win that tied the NCHC record for most goals in a league game.
So what does this weekend come down to?
It’s the same answer Omaha kept giving in this week’s press conference, just applied to a different level of opponent: details and discipline. Omaha has proven it can beat ranked teams this season: it’s already played 18 ranked matchups and has six wins against ranked opponents.
For a team still fighting in the standings, Saturday night will carry a little extra weight.
It’s Senior Night, and senior forward Sam Huo will be honored along with six Mavericks who have been with the team for four years: Jacob Guevin, Simon Latkoczy, Griffin Ludtke, Cam Mitchell, Tyler Rollwagen, and Jacob Slipec.
“They’ve really kind of embodied what we’ve been about here in Omaha and the community and the team,” Gabinet said of his senior class.
“But we’re not done yet. We got lots to go here. So we’ll get a chance to celebrate (the seniors) at the end of the season. But right now, you know, we want to do right by everybody and show up the best way we can show up here for starting this weekend,” Gabinet added.
Highlights:
Friday night is “Stripe the Arena” (see graphic below) and the seven seniors will be honored on Saturday night.
Senior goaltender Simon Latkoczy earned career win no. 50 versus Western Michigan and made 68 saves on the weekend.
Denver has had all three of their goaltenders in rotation due to injuries. Johnny Hicks was in net for both games versus Colorado College last weekend. He is unbeaten in his last five games in net (4-0-1), dating back to a shutout against St. Cloud State on Jan. 24.
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).
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.
On this episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason talk about the University of Nebraska-Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s recent series against Western Michigan at Lawson Ice Arena (includes their picks for “Player of the Week”). They present this week’s “Weekly Top 20.” They talk about the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) race as it stands now. They wrap up the episode with their preview and predictions for Omaha’s upcoming hockey series versus the Denver Pioneers at Baxter Arena.
Bonus Episode: Interview with Former Omaha Hockey Defenseman Dominic Vidoli
On this special episode of the Mavpuckcast, Bridget interviews former University of Nebraska-Omaha Maverick Hockey defenseman Dominic Vidoli. This wide-ranging discussion looks at Vidoli's hockey origins, what led him to play at Boston University and Ohio State before joining the Mavs, his favorite memories playing hockey in Omaha, what life is like playing as a professional hockey player in France, and what his goals are for the future.
Next Weekend:
Omaha is on the road to Tempe, Arizona, to face the ASU Sun Devils on Feb. 20-21. The Friday game will be at 8 p.m. Central, and Saturday’s puck drop is at 6 p.m. Central. Both games will be on NCHC.tv. ($)
So Marcus, the win — obviously, on Saturday night at Western Michigan — was a huge win for the team.
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Uh-huh.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
What does that say for where you guys are now at this point in the season?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. I think just being, you know, later in the season, it’s coming off a win against a top-three opponent that Saturday was kind of like a big steppingstone for us, I think. You know, we know where we want to be. And as a team, we set our goals. And I think every day, we’re just kind of taking steps to achieve those goals.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
It was a big weekend for you, obviously, personally. Coming into Omaha, you had said when you were younger that you had to kind of change your identity when you went in the WHL, that everybody was the goal scorer. How has your identity changed throughout this season?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. I think you kind of see it throughout the team. You know, every guy plays a little differently. And I think for me personally, it’s just kind of working hard and doing the right things before, you know, the cool tricks and the goals and the stuff like that. I think doing the details, using my speed to my advantage, like back-checking on the forecheck, I think that’s a big thing.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Obviously, Lawson (Arena) is a difficult environment to play in, but you guys managed to quiet them on Saturday. How does — how did — the barns in the NCHC compare to the WHL?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
It’s a lot different, for sure. In the “Dub” (WHL), you don’t get the student sections or any of that. So it’s pretty neat and, you know, kind of going to different arenas around the league here and experiencing the, you know, just the intensity of the fans.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Coach Gabinet talked about your speed when you were interviewed in the NCHC profile.
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Uh-huh.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
What do you think is the part of your game that has translated best to playing in the NCAA?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
I think just my speed. Like you said, just I think sticking to the strengths of just your game as a player is a big thing. And that’s, you know, what I think is a big part of, you know, you take steps of going pro. You know, in the WHL, I was a speedy guy. And I think just sticking to my strengths as I move along in the NCAA is a big thing.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
(Coach Gabinet) talks about you guys focusing on your own game. But this is obviously a big, big opponent coming in here.
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Uh-huh.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Denver’s unbeaten in the last five (games) and ranked (in the Top 10). But that’s nothing new for you guys.
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Uh-huh.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
What do you think it’s going to take this weekend from you and from the team to shut them down?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. I think it’s playoff hockey. Details are going to be number one. I think, you know, they’re a skilled team over there. You give credit where credits due. But I think it’s going to be playoff it’s going to be a playoff series. And I think, you know, every shift matters. Every period matters. I think it’s going to, you know, come down to those details.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
When Omaha came calling to recruit you, what did you know about the city and the hockey program, and how did you decide to come to Omaha?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Honestly, I didn’t really know much about, you know, Omaha as a city. I knew about the Omaha program and the NCHC. So I think, you know, just kind of doing my research. You know, once Gabs and the rest of the staff reached out, I, you know, hopped on my Safari (browser) and searched it up. So I think that was a cool little thing. And then once I got down here, I was just blown away by the facility and, you know, just the people here.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Talk a little bit about Baxter (Arena). Obviously, there’s only two more home series left in the season. What have you learned about the hockey fans here that maybe you weren’t expecting?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
I think just being a player in this facility is, you know, every game, they’re so close to us. And I think just with, you know, the Blue Line Club even, you get to experience dinners with them (the fans). And you get to chat with fans after games. And it’s pretty incredible.
Timothy Rohwer, UNO Blue Line Club Newsletter:
What did you think of that dinner (Dinner with the Mavs), that event last week?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Like, what did I think of it?
Timothy Rohwer, UNO Blue Line Club Newsletter:
Well, yeah. What did you think?
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. It was awesome. I got to I think there’s been two of this year so far. And you get to sit with different kind of fans and just kind of talk. You mingle. You don’t got to talk about hockey all the time. It’s nice to, you know, get to know someone — about their life and, you know, just their life experience.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Awesome. Good job. Thanks, Marcus.
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Thanks, Gabs.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Okay, man.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Thanks, Marcus.
Marcus Nguyen (Freshman Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Thanks, guys.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
So Coach, obviously, huge win. Kind of inopportune timing to have the bye (week) because you guys probably have been building on that through practice and things like that. But now with just a couple of weeks left in the season, how big of a moment was that for the team to get that win on the road in such a hostile environment?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. It’s huge. Obviously, I think, you know, their record the last 14 games or whatever, they were on a pretty hot streak there too. And obviously, not an easy place to play in. So again, to stick with it and have the resiliency as a group to keep showing up and battling and come away with a huge win was massive, you know? And I think just not only you’re getting three points, but beating that opponent, coming off of a, you know, CC (Colorado College) weekend that was pretty good and St. Cloud before that. So it’s just nice to get some momentum. We’ve had some wins every weekend here and keep that moving forward.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Talking about Marcus, when you recruited him during the CHL, it was his speed and his knack for scoring that kind of drew you to him. What have you learned about him — both as a player and his skills as well as some of his off-the-ice things that have made him a strong contributor this season?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Well, I think you can see his skill set when you watch him play, just his speed, just his skill level. I think he’s probably maybe second on our team right now in goals, if not first, maybe now. So he has that knack for scoring. He had 36 goals last season. And so again, you’re seeing all those attributes. But I think one of the most things that drew us to recruiting him was just his coachability. And when you talk to him, he was very — had a good self-assessment of his game, where he needed to improve to continue developing, liked to talk hockey, liked to talk about development. And, you know, just when a player has that, you know, has that self-assessment — that’s pretty bang-on from what you see, usually those are the guys that keep getting better.
And so really much a student of the game, wanted to be in a place where he’d be pushed and challenged and developed. And then when you, you know, you talk to the people you know around the league or in the hockey world, just always positive feedback on that as well there so too. And you’re seeing it translate, you know, right? He’s been through some ups and downs a little bit through the season, as new players do in a new league, in a new environment.
But man, he just continues to climb and get better and better. And obviously, (he) was a big — had a big weekend for us against Western. And he’ll just continue to do that.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
At this point in the season, how different is your team than it was in October? And where have you seen the biggest growth?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. I was telling the guys today, I think you can just see guys getting more comfortable. You can see guys growing and getting better. Just — I had I thought we had an excellent — I know the bye weekend came after a big win. But we had an excellent week. We’ve been going pretty hard since the holiday break. And we haven’t — I don’t think we’ve had one day off besides like Sunday since the second half started.
So it’s just nice to get the guys a chance to kind of just recover a little bit, rest a little bit, get away from hockey for a little bit there. And then man, when we practiced during the bye (week), I kind of just I was really impressed with the group and the energy level and the attention to detail. And you can just see guys getting better. And then they feel it. Again, these guys are high-performance athletes. They know when they’re getting better. They know when they’re putting the work in.
And so it’s been fun to watch those guys grow. And you can see the confidence coming. You can see the less decision-making coming — more instinctively playing in that flow state. And those are good things.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Speaking of having that time to kind of rest and recover, any update? Is everybody going to be available for this weekend?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. We got a couple of guys still questionable. But I think, you know, guys are getting healthy, which has been a nice obviously, we lost (Spencer Sova) there on Saturday against Western (Michigan) there. But guys are starting to get healthy here, which is nice as a coach. Makes tough lineup decisions. But it’s great for the team having everybody available.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You’re honoring seven seniors this weekend, “Big Sam” (Huo), and then, of course, the six guys that have been the heart and soul of this program for the last four years. What can you say about this group of seniors?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. I kind of said it at the Blue Line Club thing, I’m not thinking too much about it, to be honest, just to kind of stay present and not, you know, not get too sad, to be honest. When you’ve been with these guys for so long, you get really close to them. And lots of exciting things happening in their lives. And again, just I think just grateful to have the opportunity to coach those guys for so many years.
And it’s been a really nice partnership. You know, they’ve really kind of embodied what we’ve been about here in Omaha and the community and the team and had some big-time wins — and some adversity — and everything that goes along with playing in this environment. But when you do it together, I think that’s pretty special. When you have the character that they have, it’s pretty special. And, you know, those guys will be lifelong, you know, part of my life and part of our life and my family’s life. And, you know, just lots of good memories to reflect on.
But we’re not done yet. We got lots to go here. So we’ll get a chance to celebrate that at the end of the season. But right now, you know, we want to do right by everybody and show up the best way we can show up here for starting this weekend.
Timothy Rohwer, UNO Blue Line Club Newsletter:
You mentioned honoring. Is there going to be (something) special, you know, before the game?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. Yeah. They’ll do a nice senior tribute there on Saturday before the game there, so.
Timothy Rohwer, UNO Blue Line Club Newsletter:
On Saturday?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. On Saturday. So it’ll be a nice little a nice little way to recognize those guys and their time here, and get a chance for them to be recognized, which is pretty special. So that’ll be great. We’ll do that Saturday right before the game.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
What can fans expect this weekend against this Denver team?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. As you guys know, you know, Denver’s a high-octane team that has a lot of talent, which is, you know, what they’ve been known for for a long time. They’re, you know, defending national champions two years ago, etc. But again, I think, again, we obviously, we’ll we got to, you know, you do your pre-scout. You do the tactical things that you want to do to be successful against those guys.
But I think, again, it’s about us, just like we talked about on Saturday against Western Michigan. How are we playing the game? Focus on ourselves here and making sure we’re prepared to go, and bring the best version of ourselves ready to compete and battle. And like Marcus said too, it’s kind of fun. You get to experience a little bit of playoff hockey here too, right? You’re playing for keeps all the time. And I think that’s exciting.
I think leaning into that and enjoying that and facing it head-on — rather than overthinking it or worrying about it, let’s just get after it. And let’s go compete and be ready to battle.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
I know you guys talk about focusing on yourself. But are you keeping an eye on the NCHC standings? Because it’s a tight race right there in the middle.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. Yeah. I did that on Friday night a little bit. And I stopped because I was getting too nervous watching the games. So I think it’s just, again, you know, for sure, it’s, you know, it’s in your hands, right? I mean, that’s the most important thing. You got to worry about yourself. But obviously, you got to — you’re keeping tabs on it as everybody is there.
But again, just, you know, I always ask myself, how does it serve you, you know, right? And whatever you’re doing, how does it serve you? And if you can’t think of it doing a positive thing, then why are you giving it to your attention? And you got to be channeling all your attention to what serves you and how you’re going to help your team and also yourself.
Awesome. Okay. Thanks, guys.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Thanks, Coach.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Thanks, Emma.
Emma Goldstein (Sports Information, Omaha Athletics):
The Omaha Hockey team has won six straight and is headed to Colorado to try to make it eight straight. The Mavericks are taking on the defending national champions in Denver on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1. It is the only regular season games scheduled between the two teams this season.
No. 5 Denver is currently tied for fourth place in the NCHC with North Dakota. Omaha is in second place, one point out of first place (behind Western Michigan).
Omaha is averaging 2.9 goals a game (while holding opponents to 2.2 goals/game). Denver is scoring an average of 3.8 goals a game and holding opponents to 2 goals/game. Something has to give.
Junior goaltender Simon Latkoczy, fresh off his third NCHC Goaltender of the Week honors, is expected to get the start in net. Latkoczy has a 2.22 goals against average this season, with a .935 save percentage. He is on the Mike Richter Award watch list and is a Hobey Baker candidate. He recorded his 40th and 41st career victories against the SCSU Huskies.
Nine players have played all 24 games for the Mavericks this season: Brock Bremer (F), Dylan Gratton (D), Jacob Guevin (D), Harrison Israels (F), captain Nolan Krenzen (D), Griffin Ludtke (D), Brady Risk (F), Tyler Rollwagen (F), and Sam Stange (F). Eight of the nine had points in last weekend’s series versus St. Cloud State (all except Gratton).
Denver is 18-6-0 overall (7-5-0 in NCHC play), and are coming off a split with Minnesota-Duluth in Duluth last weekend. The Pioneers lost 4-3 on Friday, with sophomore goaltender Freddie Halyk getting his second start of the season. Denver won 2-1 Saturday behind the play of senior goaltender Matt Davis (in Coach David Carle’s 250th game as the boss bench for DU).
Friday night at Magness Arena the UNO Alumni Association will host a “Mavs on the Move” event.
Omaha is 14-10-0 overall, and 10-4-0 in the NCHC. Omaha swept St. Cloud in Omaha, winning 6-3 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday.
Last season, Denver won the season series with Omaha three games to one, splitting in Denver (winning 8-4 Friday, losing to Omaha on Sunday 4-3 after the Saturday night game was delayed to Sunday afternoon due to a problem with the ice), and sweeping the Mavericks 6-3 and 6-2 at Baxter Arena last season.
The Pioneers are 9-2-0 at Magness Arena this season.
Captain Nolan Krenzen and Coach Mike Gabinet met with the media ahead of the Denver series.
“We’ve made a choice on what our heart is going to be. Winning is hard, losing is hard. The group has made (the) hard choice to show up,” Krenzen said. “When things are going wrong, you can try and blame it on something, or you just have to stay consistent and keep showing up.”
Krenzen said fan and family support have been important to the team this season. “There’s (so) many people, and they’re loud, and the atmosphere is hard for other teams to come in (and play in), and it’s awesome for us.”
“I have the privilege to see my parents pretty much every weekend. Not a lot of players can say that, so I try (not) to take it for granted, because I know eventually that won’t be the case,” he added.
He said Denver is “obviously very offensively skilled (and) they have good structure. But ultimately, it’s our game and what we need to focus on. And I think if we stay committed to our structure and our game plan, we’ll do well.”
Krenzen said he doesn’t look at the standings. “It might be in the back of your mind, but it’s not the main focus. It’s good to have goals as a team, but this late in the season, I think it’s just about us and the way we want to play and show up.”
He said he will do whatever he can to help the team. “I don’t like to get scored on. That’s the one thing — if I get scored on the ice, that’s not a good game for me, if that happens a lot. So that’s what I like to focus on. I think that helps, ultimately, the team win, if I can play that way. So that’s what I strive to do.”
Coach Gabinet had high praise for his captain. “He’s just a stand-up individual, (a) high character person. Hockey aside, he does the right things consistently. (He’s) very low maintenance to coach … just takes care of himself on ice, takes care of himself off the ice, does extra … always in shape … always prepared.”
Gabinet says offensive production will be important in the upcoming series. “We harped on defense a lot early in the year knowing that we can’t afford to give up too many goals against, and now it’s been nice to focus a little bit more on offensive development,“ Gabinet said. “Even in practice, you can see guys getting better on both sides of the puck. (It’s been) nice to see some of those guys really find their offensive mojo in the second half (of the season).”
> Saturday, 7 p.m. CT at Magness Arena (Denver, 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.
On this episode of the #MavPuckCast, Jon and Bridget discuss the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s recent sweep of the St. Cloud State Huskies at Baxter Arena — including video clips and their picks for “Player of the Week.” They talk about two recent “theme nights” at Baxter Arena. They discuss the current National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) standings, and where UNO sits. They conclude the episode with their preview and predictions for Omaha’s upcoming hockey series against the Denver Pioneers at Magness Arena.
Next up: Omaha returns to Baxter Arena for a two-game NCHC series against the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Feb. 7-8. Both games will start at 7:07 p.m.
