No. 12/13 Omaha Resumes NCHC Slate vs. No. 10 DU
Jan 9, 2015 | Hockey
This Week
The No. 12/13 Omaha Mavericks return to NCHC play this weekend when they host No. 10 Denver on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m. from CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The Teams
The Mavericks are 12-5-3 overall this season and 6-3-1-1 in the NCHC this season, putting them in third place. They haven't played since a 2-1 OT win and a 6-2 loss to visiting New Hampshire on Dec. 30-31. UNO trails the all-time series with Denver, 7-15-2 and is 5-7-0 all-time against the Pioneers in Omaha. The Mavericks are 6-3-1 at home this season.
The Pioneers are 11-5-1 overall and 4-3-0-0 in the NCHC this season, good for fifth place. DU is coming off a 1-1 tie (2-1 shootout loss) at Dartmouth and a 5-3 win over Brown at the Ledyard Bank Classic in Hanover, N.H. last weekend. Denver is 2-2-1 on the road this season and has played just one other NCHC road series, going 1-1-0 at Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 24-25.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks earned a 2-1 overtime win before losing to New Hampshire, 6-2, on Dec. 30-31, their last series of 2014. On Tuesday, the Mavericks spotted the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at 3:12 of the first period but tied it at 1:02 of the third when Jake Randolph scored off the rebound of a shot by Tyler Vesel. In overtime, Vesel's pass from behind the net found Austin Ortega who fired home the game winner at 3:45. Kirk Thompson stopped 28 shots for the win.
On Wednesday, UNO dropped into a 4-0 hole after two periods but tried to build a rally in the third on goals by David Pope and Luc Snuggerud just 2:06 apart. The rally fell short when UNH added two, one into an empty net, to secure the split. Thompson, starting consecutive games for the first time this year, made 18 saves.
The Coaches
Dean Blais is in his sixth year as the head coach of the Mavericks, having led UNO to two 20-win campaigns in that time. The 1973 graduate of Minnesota has posted a record of 365-206-54 (.627) in his career as a head coach and has guided the Mavericks to a mark of 103-91-21 (.528). He coached in his 200th game at UNO on Oct. 31 at Cornell.
Blais is a two-time Spencer Penrose Memorial Award winner as the Division I coach of the year and a four-time winner of the WCHA's Coach of the Year Award. He spent 10 years as head coach at North Dakota where he led UND to national championships in 1997 and 2000. He is assisted by coaches Troy Jutting and Alex Todd who both have extensive head coaching experience, Jutting at Minnesota State and Todd at Castleton (Vt.) State.
Jim Montgomery is in his second season as head coach at Denver. The 1993 graduate of Maine is 31-21-7 at DU. He is assisted by Joe Clark and David Carle.
Media
Friday's game will be carried live on NET1, Nebraska's PBS. Dave Ahlers will have the play-by-play, former Maverick standout David Brisson will have analysis and Thor Tripp will report.
Both games also can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Frank Adkisson will have the play-by-play on Friday while Ahlers will do so on Saturday. Terry Leahy will handle the analysis, and Lester St. James will report from rinkside. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show. Streaming video is available through NCHC.tv, while live audio and stats are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks visit Colorado College on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 16-17. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m. MT, and Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m. MT from Colorado Springs World Arena.
The No. 12/13 Omaha Mavericks return to NCHC play this weekend when they host No. 10 Denver on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m., and Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m. from CenturyLink Center Omaha.
The Teams
The Mavericks are 12-5-3 overall this season and 6-3-1-1 in the NCHC this season, putting them in third place. They haven't played since a 2-1 OT win and a 6-2 loss to visiting New Hampshire on Dec. 30-31. UNO trails the all-time series with Denver, 7-15-2 and is 5-7-0 all-time against the Pioneers in Omaha. The Mavericks are 6-3-1 at home this season.
The Pioneers are 11-5-1 overall and 4-3-0-0 in the NCHC this season, good for fifth place. DU is coming off a 1-1 tie (2-1 shootout loss) at Dartmouth and a 5-3 win over Brown at the Ledyard Bank Classic in Hanover, N.H. last weekend. Denver is 2-2-1 on the road this season and has played just one other NCHC road series, going 1-1-0 at Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 24-25.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks earned a 2-1 overtime win before losing to New Hampshire, 6-2, on Dec. 30-31, their last series of 2014. On Tuesday, the Mavericks spotted the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at 3:12 of the first period but tied it at 1:02 of the third when Jake Randolph scored off the rebound of a shot by Tyler Vesel. In overtime, Vesel's pass from behind the net found Austin Ortega who fired home the game winner at 3:45. Kirk Thompson stopped 28 shots for the win.
On Wednesday, UNO dropped into a 4-0 hole after two periods but tried to build a rally in the third on goals by David Pope and Luc Snuggerud just 2:06 apart. The rally fell short when UNH added two, one into an empty net, to secure the split. Thompson, starting consecutive games for the first time this year, made 18 saves.
The Coaches
Dean Blais is in his sixth year as the head coach of the Mavericks, having led UNO to two 20-win campaigns in that time. The 1973 graduate of Minnesota has posted a record of 365-206-54 (.627) in his career as a head coach and has guided the Mavericks to a mark of 103-91-21 (.528). He coached in his 200th game at UNO on Oct. 31 at Cornell.
Blais is a two-time Spencer Penrose Memorial Award winner as the Division I coach of the year and a four-time winner of the WCHA's Coach of the Year Award. He spent 10 years as head coach at North Dakota where he led UND to national championships in 1997 and 2000. He is assisted by coaches Troy Jutting and Alex Todd who both have extensive head coaching experience, Jutting at Minnesota State and Todd at Castleton (Vt.) State.
Jim Montgomery is in his second season as head coach at Denver. The 1993 graduate of Maine is 31-21-7 at DU. He is assisted by Joe Clark and David Carle.
Media
Friday's game will be carried live on NET1, Nebraska's PBS. Dave Ahlers will have the play-by-play, former Maverick standout David Brisson will have analysis and Thor Tripp will report.
Both games also can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Frank Adkisson will have the play-by-play on Friday while Ahlers will do so on Saturday. Terry Leahy will handle the analysis, and Lester St. James will report from rinkside. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show. Streaming video is available through NCHC.tv, while live audio and stats are available at OMavs.com.
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks visit Colorado College on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 16-17. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m. MT, and Saturday's game starts at 7:07 p.m. MT from Colorado Springs World Arena.
Players Mentioned
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