2019 UNO Hockey Media Guide

Want to know more about the 2018-19 UNO Mavericks Hockey team?

Check out this year's media guide:

Introduction
Coaches and Staff
The Mavericks
Opponents
2017-18 Year in Review
History and Records

Wrapping Up the Weekend: Union Series (Oct. 12-13, 2018)

The Mavs had a disappointing weekend in Schenectady, New York, tying Union College 3-3 on Friday, and losing 5-4 on Saturday.

One thing we noticed this past weekend is that the rumor that the Omaha World-Herald is cutting back on their away game coverage for UNO Hockey is true. The newspaper published recaps from "staff reports" instead of sending a reporter to live tweet and cover the games. (So if you're looking for UNO Hockey coverage, follow @Mavpuck on Twitter).

The media recaps are linked below.

The Mavs are now 0-1-1 after the first weekend of play. The team takes on #2/#3 Notre Dame this weekend at Baxter Arena.

Note: Friday's game has an earlier start time – 6:38 p.m. Central – to accomodate CBS Sports Network's coverage of the game. (Note: This game is NOT available on NCHC.tv because CBS Sports Network has exclusive access to the games they air.)

Jason and Jon analyze the Union series and preview Notre dame in the third episode of the MavPuckCast here:



Poll Results:

The Mavs were not featured in last week's USCHO weekly poll (they "received votes" but were not in the top 20). This week, they didn't even receive votes.

For the second week, the Mavs didn't even receive votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine weekly poll:

Media Roundup:
Here's the Omavs story about Friday night's tie:
https://omavs.com/news/2018/10/13/hockey-mavericks-comeback-falls-short-at-union-5-4.aspx

Here's the Omavs story from Saturday night:
https://omavs.com/news/2018/10/12/hockey-mavericks-open-to-3-3-draw-at-union.aspx

MavPuckCast with Jason & Jon: Season One

Jason & Jon talk UNO Maverick Hockey. Listen to the podcast episodes on YouTube. Season one episodes are linked below.

Episode 1 — Sept. 29, 2018:



In the inaugural edition of the Mavpuckcast, Jason and Jon discuss their expectations for the upcoming season and some recent rule changes in NCAA Men's Hockey.

Episode 2 — Oct. 8, 2018:



In episode 2 of the Mavpuckcast,Jason and Jon discuss Nebraska-Omaha's exhibition game against Manitoba as well as the commitment of two new players and what each expects from the upcoming season.

Episode 3 – Oct. 15, 2018:



In this episode of the Mavpuckcast Jason and Jon discuss the Mavericks performance at Union, some new additions to the team and the upcoming series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish!

Episode 4 – Oct. 22, 2018:


In the fourth episode, Jon and Jason talk about the "Irish Tragedy" in Omaha, a weird issue with season tickets, which arm the Baxter Arena folks will only use for beer wristbands, and a look ahead to the series with Arizona State.

Series Preview: UNO Hockey at Union -- Oct. 12-13, 2018

UNO Hockey prevailed in its exhibition against the University of Manitoba on Sunday, winning 6-1. Next up is a regular season series against a non-conference foe, Union College.

The Mavericks will face the Dutchmen at the Frank L. Messa Rink at Achilles Center in Schenectady, New York on Friday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 13. Both games begin at 6 p.m. Central.

Union beat Army 4-1 last Saturday at home. They have been picked to finish fourth in the ECAC this season.

You can read the notes from this week's news conference here.

We haven't heard officially, but we believe freshman phenom Tyler Weiss may be out of this weekend's series with an upper body injury. Weiss' goal in the exhibition was the NCHC's #2 Play of the Week:

Series preview articles:
Omavs.com article:
https://omavs.com/news/2018/10/11/hockey-mavericks-open-season-at-union.aspx

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady newspaper):
https://dailygazette.com/article/2018/10/11/union-has-steady-diet-of-non-conference-games
and
https://dailygazette.com/article/2018/10/10/dutchmen-trying-to-clip-omaha-s-wings

When:
Friday, 6 p.m. Central
Saturday, 6 p.m. Central

Radio/TV Coverage:
Both games will be broadcast live on 1180 AM (The Zone 2). Dave Ahlers will provide play-by-play and Terry Leahy will give color commentary. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday night and 5:30 p.m. Saturday night with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show.

Both games will be available on ESPN+ ($$); a free 7-day trial is available for those who do not subscribe to the service. (NOTE: The games will NOT be airing on ESPN cable channels; ESPN+ is a streaming service like NCHC.tv.)

Live Audio and Stats:
Live audio link here.
Live stats link here.

Also be sure to check out the second episode of the MavPuckCast with Jason & Jon, recorded after Sunday night's exhibition win.

Watch the episode on YouTube:

Next Weekend:
The Mavs take on national champion runner-up Notre Dame in a non-conference series next weekend at Baxter Arena. Friday's game against Notre Dame, which begins at 6:38 p.m. Central, can be seen on CBS Sports Network. Saturday's game begins at 7:07 p.m. and can be seen on NET (and on their streaming platform). We'll provide a link to that in next week's series preview. There will be a tailgate in Baxter Arena's Lot 27 before the Saturday night game. 

UNO Hockey Press Conference Notes - Oct. 9, 2018

Coach Gabinet, senior forward Steven Spinner, and senior defenseman Dean Stewart answered media questions as part of the “Omaha Athletics Weekly Media Availability” on Oct. 9, 2018. 

Gabinet fielded questions regarding the Oct. 7 exhibition at Baxter Arena agains Manitoba, and the upcoming series on Oct. 12 & 13 at Union College: 

ON ROAD TRIPS...

Gabinet: “Looking forward to getting on the road to Union. I’m always a fan of road trips early in the season where we have a chance to bond — not only as a team but as a staff.”

ANALYZING PRACTICE AND GAME FILM...

Gabinet: “Make sure we’re improving quicker than other teams. And sometimes that’s some honest feedback and some quick assessment and everybody’s got to be ready to go and take that feedback in a positive way.”

WHO WILL MAKE THE TRIP TO UNION...

Gabinet: “Everybody will travel, especially for non-conference. Especially early in the season. I think it’s important... all the healthy guys will travel.”

Gabinet: “We have so many players that are very similar, and even watching the game in detail, it’s hard to differentiate different things. If I’m a player right now, I’m dialed in on my compete level.”

Gabinet: “As far as today, there are still jobs to be won.” 

THOUGHTS ON THE SERIES WITH UNION...

Gabinet on Union: “It was nice to see Union get so many votes in the poll... we already knew they were a strong team and they’ve historically been a good program here the last number of years. It’s a tough building to play in.” 

Gabinet: “[Noel-Bernier] says you usually don’t leave there without a few ice bags on your body.” 

Gabinet: “They are hard to play against.”

THOUGHTS ON DEPTH CHART AT UNION...

Gabinet: “I sometimes don’t think these guys realize how important practice is.” 

(He added that he wants players to keep investing in themselves — the coaches take note of those things on a day-to-day basis. Some guys might play Friday... others Saturday. Some rotation will happen in the lineup early in the season to get guys experience.)

WHO WILL START IN GOAL FOR UNO THIS WEEKEND...

Gabinet: “In my young coaching career, I think one of the best things is to not overanalyze things and let things come to you a little bit, too. Just like today, we’re going to watch who practices well and who is ready to go and evaluate yesterday’s practice. Then, the same thing on the weekend. We’ll see how Friday night goes.”

ON DEFENSIVE STRATEGY FOR UNO THIS SEASON...

Stewart: “I think having Paul [Jerrard] here has been really good so far, implementing some systems and things like that.”

ON FORWARDS AND OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION THIS SEASON...

Spinner: “Forwards are totally different. You look at any level... NHL, anything. You can get changed up in the middle of the game. You’ve got to be ready to play with whoever... I’ve been playing with Teemu [Pulkinnen] and Mas (Mason Morelli) for a long time. Played with Freddy [Olofsson] a ton. It doesn’t really matter, but my line looks good. Teemu had three goals so it was obviously a good night.”

Spinner: “Through the four years I’ve been here, we’ve never had a problem offensively.”

Review: NCHC.TV's "The Season '18" - Episode 1: "New Beginnings"

Something I yearn for is more coverage of the inner workings of the UNO Hockey program — or any collegiate hockey program, for that matter. 

Sure, I’ve attended all the home games, made a number of trips to see the Mavs on the road, and filled in the gaps watching the team on TV and online. 

Watching the games — however you may do it — is merely one gear in the clockwork that makes a sports program tick. 

Because collegiate hockey is a fairly niche sport in the United States, there is scant coverage available that delves into the nitty gritty as it regards training, recruiting, and the administration of the programs we loyally follow each season. 

As a result, I’m always pleased to have the opportunity to watch any available “behind-the-scenes” content. I’ve mentioned before what a big fan I am of the online series “The Penn State Hockey Story” (produced by that school’s athletic department). Even though I have no connection to that program, I feel like I have a better understanding of that program. 

I am pleased that NCHC.TV and STX are presenting a new offering this year called “The Season ‘18” — a 6-chapter web series that goes inside the Miami RedHawk Hockey program. 

The first episode is titled “New Beginnings.” As the opening frames roll, we see Coach Enrico Blasi driving to work on Aug. 28. He mentions that he is starting his 20th season at the helm of the Miami program. 

Bridget and I met Coach Blasi in 1999 at the Badger Showdown in Milwaukee. 

We were standing in the elevator of our hotel with a guy wearing a RedHawk jacket, who looked to be our age (I was 27 at the time). He noticed our UNO gear, struck up a conversation with us, and asked if we also followed the Omaha Lancers organization. 

Never in a million years would I have assumed we were talking to the coach of one of our CCHA foes — young, short in stature, he looked more like a player than the head honcho.

A couple days later — on the morning after the tournament ended — we were eating breakfast at the Holiday Inn. Coach Blasi and his assistants were at an adjacent table. 

As they went to leave, Coach Blasi tapped Bridget on the shoulder and said, “See you guys in Omaha.” 

Sometimes fans get all wrapped up in the on-ice battles during the grind of the conference season. Be that as it may, I try to remind myself that these are programs like UNO, with good fans and good people working to present a top-notch product on the ice.

The first episode of “The Season ‘18” shows the coaches and players working to get ready for the coming season at Miami’s Goggin Ice Center. (We were treated to a “behind-the-scenes” tour when we visited Oxford, OH, with a group of UNO fans in 2006.)

During the course of the debut episode, we learn a bit about “The Brotherhood,” hear the team talk about some of the program’s recent disappointments, and watch the team as it participates in offseason training. 

Listening to Coach Blasi talk, you get the sense he has some of the same philosophical underpinnings guiding UNO Coach Mike Gabinet. 

“My expectation is that every day we come to the rink, every day we do anything — off the ice, on the ice, in the classroom — we do it to the best of our ability and we push ourselves to be better, and we hold ourselves accountable,” says Blasi. 

Fans new to the world of college hockey might not realize Blasi took the RedHawks to eight straight NCAA tournaments, two Frozen Fours, and one national championship game (losing in OT to Boston University in 2009) in the years leading up to the formation of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. 

Outside of the 2014-15 season (when the team made the NCAA tournament), the Miami program hasn’t been above .500 since they began play in the NCHC. 

It illustrates that premier programs — despite a history of success — can fall on hard times. Puck fans always hope it won’t happen to their team, but the “hockey gods” are fickle beings. 

I also know UNO fans feel chapped about former UNO assistant Peter Mannino leaving the program last spring — taking UNO recruits with him. 

The first episode has Blasi talking about the new assistant, and shows Mannino working with the Miami goaltenders. 

While “The Season ‘18” might not dive into all the pieces churning in the Miami program, it is nice to have this behind-the-scenes look at one of our conference foes. It’s also nice to have the opportunity to understand the teams we play a little bit better — and not just judge a program on stats and on-ice exploits. 

To learn more about "The Season ‘18", visit the NCHC.tv website. 

The first episode of “The Season ‘18” runs 13 minutes and can be viewed below:

Game Preview: UNO vs. Manitoba 10/7/18

"There is no offseason, only preseason."

Well, Maverick Hockey fans, the preseason ends Sunday when UNO takes on the University of Manitoba in an exhibition at 5:07 p.m. at Baxter Arena.

New this year at Baxter Arena is the clear bag policy, so ladies, don't forget to take stuff out of your purse and transfer it over to your clear bag. (That's going to be fun to do twice each weekend. This is obviously a policy created by men, for men.) Anyway, I digress.

This is Coach Gabinet's second season as head coach and as Jon's blog post about recruiting talks about, he's starting to get some of his guys in place. But there are still a metric ton of Blais-recruited players, including 10 seniors, so this will be an interesting year. The Mavs were picked to finish seventh in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Preseason Poll.

I didn't realize that Manitoba had been out of the exhibition rotation since the 2008-09 season. As a result, this is the Bison's first trip to Baxter Arena. We're 11-2-0 all time against Manitoba.

But Manitoba has played two regular season games already (going 1-1-0), plus four exhibition games in the United Kingdom and three exhibition games against the University of Regina. Manitoba was 3-4-0 in the seven exhibition games. The Bison will play the University of North Dakota on Saturday.

Omavs.com article about the exhibition:

https://omavs.com/news/2018/10/4/hockey-mavericks-welcome-manitoba-for-exhibition.aspx

Omavs.com weekly news release:

https://omavs.com/documents/2018/10/4//Omaha_Hockey_Weekly_Release_10_2_18.pdf

The MavPuckCast podcast with Jason & Jon (preseason preview):

https://mavpuck.wildapricot.org/mavpuckcast

When:

Sunday, 5:07 p.m. Central

Radio/TV Coverage:

The exhibition game will be broadcast live on 1180 The Zone 2. Dave Ahlers will provide play-by-play and Terry Leahy is back with color commentary. Lester St. James is the rinkside reporter. Coverage beghins at 4:37 p.m. with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show.

The game will also be available on NCHC.tv. ($)

Live audio and stats:

Live audio link here.

Live stats link here.

Next Weekend:

UNO begins NCAA play with a non-conference series at Union College on Friday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 13. Both games start at 6 p.m. Central.