MavPuck NCHC Frozen Faceoff Quarterfinal Picks

MavPuck NCHC Frozen Faceoff Quarterfinal Picks

#1 UND vs. #8 Omaha

Jason’s Pick: UND in 3

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.

Line Chart – Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 – Omaha vs. Miami (OH)

Friday, Feb. 27, 2026

Omaha vs. Miami (OH) at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 5-3 Omaha

Scoring for Omaha:

Cam Mitchell

Tyler Rollwagen (PP)

Brett Hyland

Jacob Guevin (PP)

Jacob Slipec (ENG)

Line Chart – Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 – Omaha vs. Denver (Omaha, NE)

Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026

Omaha vs. Denver at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 3-1 Denver

Scoring for Omaha:

Jérémy Loranger (PP)

Line Chart – Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 – Omaha vs. Denver (Omaha, NE)

Friday, Feb. 13, 2026

Omaha vs. Denver at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 5-2 Denver

Scoring for Omaha:

Samuel Huo (PP)

Ryan McCleary

Line Chart – Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 – Omaha vs. Colorado College (Omaha, NE)

Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

Omaha vs. Colorado College at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 3-1 Colorado College

Scoring for Omaha:

Brett Hyland

Line Chart – Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 – Omaha vs. Colorado College (Omaha, NE)

Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Omaha vs. Colorado College at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 3-1 Omaha

Scoring for Omaha:

Aidan De La Gorgendiere (PP)

Trevor Wong

Trevor Wong (ENG)

Series Preview: Omaha at Miami University (Oxford, OH), Jan. 16-17, 2026

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.

Next Weekend:

Omaha returns home to Baxter Arena next weekend to host Colorado College, Jan. 23-24, on Kemp Ice. Both games will stream on NCHC.tv with radio coverage on 1290 KOIL and the Varsity Network.

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Line Chart – Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 – Omaha vs. SCSU (Omaha, NE)

Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026

Omaha vs. St. Cloud State University at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 2-1 SCSU

Scoring for Omaha:

Samuel Huo (power play)

Line Chart – Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 – Omaha vs. SCSU (Omaha, NE)

Friday, Jan. 9, 2026

Omaha vs. St. Cloud State University at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Final: 6-2 Omaha

Scoring for Omaha:

Maxime Pellerin

Spencer Sova

Trevor Wong

Marcus Nguyễn

Samuel Huo (power play)

Sean Tschigerl

Omaha vs Yale University Weekend Recap (Nov. 28-29, 2025)

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

Saturday’s game was the type of structured, patient road performance Omaha has been trying to find. The Mavericks again scored first — this time the goal came from freshman Cam Briere, who tipped home a pass from Cam Mitchell at 10:35 of the first period for his first collegiate goal 

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.

Period scoring: Omaha 1-0-2 = 3; Yale 0-0-1 = 1

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:

• Cam Briere: first NCAA goal
• Marcus Nguyen: primary assist on the Saturday insurance goal
• Joel Plante: assist on Briere’s goal

Special teams were stable, but power-play goals remained elusive:
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)

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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. 

Belfast in 2028: Omaha Hockey Selected to Participate in Friendship Four Tournament

At a Blue Line Club “Dinner with the Mavs” last fall, Coach Gabinet teased that Omaha might be one of the teams participating in a future “Friendship Four,” an annual tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

The rumor became reality today when Omaha Hockey was announced as a participant in the 2028 Friendship Four tournament. The Mavericks will compete outside of the U.S. for the first time in program history.

Omaha will join Dartmouth, Maine and Notre Dame, with dates and matchups to be determined.

The games will take place at SSE Arena in Belfast. The Mavericks will be the fourth National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) member to participate in the event.

“We are proud for Omaha Hockey to be part of the 2028 Friendship Four, a tremendous opportunity that reflects the nationally prominent program we have built,” said Vice Chancellor / Director of Athletics Adrian Dowell. “This tournament provides us with another opportunity to provide a unique holistic development experience for our student-athletes on an international stage. I am thankful to Mike Kemp for his hard work on this initiative which further solidifies UNO's standing as an institution with a worldwide platform through the power of sport.”

Omaha Hockey head coach Mike Gabinet said he has never been to Northern Ireland, but relishes the invitation.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our program and a chance to continue to grow the brand of Omaha Hockey on an international stage,” said head coach Mike Gabinet. “The Friendship Four is one of the premier events in college hockey and being part of it highlights the importance and relevance of our program nationally and abroad. It’s a moment our players, fans and staff will be proud of as we represent UNO in Belfast.”

Organized by the Odyssey Trust since its inception, the Friendship Four celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2025 and is the only NCAA Division I ice hockey competition to take place outside of North America. The tournament has become a flagship event in Northern Ireland’s sporting calendar, bringing world class collegiate hockey to Belfast while promoting education, cultural exchange and community engagement.

“The Friendship Four began as an ambitious idea and has grown into an event that embodies the values of friendship, learning and international collaboration,” said Martin McDowell, chair of the Odyssey Trust. “We are incredibly proud of the impact it has made in Belfast and beyond over the past decade, from building relationships with U.S. institutions to providing local communities with access to top-level sport. Announcing the 2026, 2027 and 2028 teams as we celebrate 10 years this year is the perfect way to look ahead with excitement and confidence.”

Representatives of the Odyssey Trust presented to NCHC teams at one of the conference's annual meetings in Florida. Omaha will be the fourth NCHC team to appear in the tournament in four years. Miami (OH) will participate this year (2025), University of Minnesota Duluth in 2026, and the University of North Dakota in 2027.

The announcement took place in Boston, celebrating the Sister Cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, signed a decade ago. The agreement aims to foster stronger economic development, trade and investment, tourism, youth, cultural exchanges and educational linkages between the two cities, as well as to increase awareness of Belfast and Boston being growth cities in the connected health and life sciences, creative industries, tourism, financial services and knowledge economy sectors.

Maverick fans interested in ticket and travel information should complete an interest form:
https://omavs.com/sb_output.aspx?form=53

(Completing the form does not guarantee access to tickets.)

Your Mavericks are headed to Northern Ireland in 2028 🌎https://t.co/TqQF5DB3kE pic.twitter.com/fLU4X33NXf

— Omaha Hockey (@OmahaHKY) September 23, 2025

NCHC Preseason Media Poll – Expectation vs. Reality

 

“Have we ever not finished higher than our preseason projection (in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll)?”

That was Collin Miller’s question in the MavPuck Facebook group after I posted that the Mavericks were picked to finish seventh in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll. 

Great question!

The answer is YES, it has happened three times, in 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2021-22.

There have also been years when Omaha has outperformed the media’s expectations — sometimes wildly. The most notable example was the inaugural season of NCHC play, 2013-14, when the media picked Omaha to finish dead last, but the Mavericks finished third in the conference (+5 difference).

As Rick (@RedArmyOmaha) points out on Twitter, pollsters have picked Omaha, on average, about 1.25 spots lower than it finishes. 

Omaha is picked to finish 7th in the NCHC for the 2025-26 season. We’ll come back in March and update the graphic!

Sources: The NCHC website for final standings by year (https://nchchockey.com/standings.aspx?standings=18).

Finding the annual poll results was a little harder, but I did end up finding them on different news releases (for example, for 2024-25: https://nchchockey.com/news/2024/9/11/mens-ice-hockey-denver-tops-nchc-preseason-media-poll-for-third-straight-year)

Omaha Hockey Picked Seventh in NCHC Preseason Media Poll (2025-2026)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Coming off the program’s first NCAA National Championship and first Penrose Cup, Western Michigan has been selected as the favorite to win the Penrose Cup in 2026 and repeat as NCHC regular-season champions. The Broncos top the NCHC Preseason Media Poll for the first time, as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference unveiled the 2025-26 Preseason Poll on Thursday.

Western Michigan collected 19 of 30 first-place votes and totaled 252 points in the poll. Denver is picked second with 225 points and four first-place votes, while North Dakota is just behind in third with 220 points, including five first-place votes. Arizona State came in fourth in the Preseason Poll (180 points), garnering a pair of first-place votes.

Placing fifth in the Preseason Poll is Colorado College (128 points), while Minnesota Duluth was not far behind in sixth with 120 points. Omaha (110), St. Cloud State (80) and Miami (35) round out the NCHC Preseason Poll in spots seven through nine, respectively.

Last year, the Broncos became only the second NCHC team to capture both the Penrose Cup and Frozen Faceoff titles in the same season, and the first to add a national title on top of that. WMU finished the 2024-25 season with a 34-7-1 mark, including 19-4-1 in NCHC play. Western Michigan will be led by junior forward Owen Michaels, who tallied 18 goals a year ago and was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Frozen Four. The Broncos also return sophomore goaltender Hampton Slukynsky, who was named Preseason All-NCHC on Wednesday and earned Second-Team All-NCHC as a freshman.

Denver, who had topped the NCHC Preseason Poll each of the three previous seasons, placed third in the NCHC regular season last year. The Pioneers posted a 31-12-1 record overall a season ago, including 15-8-1 in conference play. DU was the runner-up at last year’s Frozen Faceoff and again fell to the Broncos in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals. The Pioneers bring back a pair of Preseason All-NCHC selections in junior forward Sam Harris and junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp.

North Dakota heads into the 2025-26 season under new leadership, with longtime assistant coach Dane Jackson taking over the reigns of his alma mater as head coach. The Fighting Hawks placed fifth in the NCHC last season with a 14-9-1 mark, while going 21-15-2 overall. UND brings back First-Team All-NCHC defenseman and Preseason All-NCHC pick Jake Livanavage, while adding a touted rookie class to the mix.

Arizona State made its NCHC debut last season and surprised many, finishing second in the regular season after being picked eighth in the NCHC Preseason Poll. The Sun Devils were 14-9-1 in NCHC play in their first season in the conference and just missed the NCAA Tournament, going 21-14-2 overall. Tabbed to place fourth this year, ASU will be paced by Preseason All-NCHC forward Cullen Potter, who earned NCHC All-Rookie Team honors last year.

Western Michigan was selected sixth in last year’s NCHC Preseason Poll before going on to win the Penrose Cup. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs hold that spot in this year’s Preseason Poll.

A total of 30 ballots were submitted by local media members from each school, as well as select national media. Points were awarded on a descending scale with a first-place vote worth nine points, a second-place vote worth eight points and so on. 

While the NCHC will not hold an in-person Media Day in 2025, media will be able to speak with coaches and players from each team via video call during the NCHC’s virtual Media Days on Sept. 23-24. Commissioner Heather Weems’ State of the Conference address will be posted to NCHC.tv following virtual Media Days.

The NCHC begins its 13th season on Friday, Oct. 3 with six teams in action, while the pursuit of the Penrose Cup kicks off on Friday, Oct. 31. Fans can watch 180 games live this season on NCHC.tv, including 12 games opening weekend. 

2025-26 NCHC Preseason Media Poll

Western Michigan, 252 points (19 first-place votes)
Denver, 225 (4)
North Dakota, 220 (5)
Arizona State, 180 (2)
Colorado College, 128
Minnesota Duluth, 120
Omaha, 110
St. Cloud State, 80
Miami, 35

MavPuckCast Podcast – S7 E20: An Interview with Jacob Slipec

Season 7, Episode 20:
Interview with Omaha Maverick Hockey Forward Jacob Slipec

On this special episode of the MavPuckCast, Jon and Jason have a wide-ranging chat with Omaha Maverick Hockey junior forward Jacob Slipec. Slipec (a native of White Rock, British Columbia) talks about his career, how he eded up being a recruit for the Mavericks, how he prepares for games, his favorite road venue to play in, hobbies, goals, and what he thinks of playing for UNO at Baxter Arena.
Special thanks for your support of the podcast and MavPuck.com this season. Your support is greatly appreciated!! 

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