Omaha Begins Playoffs at No. 7/8 Western Michigan
Mar 9, 2017 | Hockey
This Week
The Omaha hockey team begins the NCHC Playoffs with quarterfinal action at No. 7/8 Western Michigan on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, if necessary, March 10-12. Starting time each night is 7:05 p.m. ET from Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich. In spite of 11 years together in the old Central Collegiate Hockey Association, this is the first playoff meeting between the two schools.
The Teams
Omaha is 16-15-5 this year and finished the NCHC regular season with a record of 9-13-2-0/0, putting it in sixth place. The Mavericks were swept in their final series, losing to Denver, 4-2 and 3-0, at home. The Mavericks are 10-5-3 away from home this season, a record that includes one neutral-site win. They split the regular season series with Western Michigan, 1-1-0, and they continue to lead the all-time series with the Broncos, 21-13-6. They are 9-7-4 all-time at WMU and 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.
Western Michigan is 20-9-5 overall and was 13-9-2-0/1 in the NCHC, putting it in third place, its highest NCHC finish. The Broncos split a pair of games with Minnesota Duluth last weekend at home, winning 7-4 before losing, 6-3. WMU is 12-3-3 at home this season and 6-2-2 in its last 10 games.
The Coaches
Dean Blais is in his eighth year as the head coach of the Mavericks, having led UNO to three 20-win campaigns in that time. The 1973 graduate of Minnesota has posted a record of 407-246-63 in his career as a head coach and has guided the Mavericks to a mark of 145-131-30. He earned his 400th career win at St. Cloud State on Dec. 9.
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 joined by associate head coach Mike Gabinet, a former UNO defenseman and a 2004 graduate, and assistant coach Leigh Mendelson, a 2015 Omaha graduate and former volunteer assistant coach for the team (2014-16).
Andy Murray is in his sixth year behind the Western Michigan Bench. The 1972 graduate of Brandon is 101-93-32 all-time in Kalamazoo. He is assisted by Dave Shyiak and Todd Krygier.
Media
Both games can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Dave Ahlers will handle the play by play, and Terry Leahy provides analysis. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show. Live video can be found at NCHC.tv while live audio and stats can be found at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks will advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff for the first time in school history if they win this weekend's series at Western Michigan. Their next game would be in the semifinals against the winner of the Minnesota Duluth/Miami series on Friday, March 17 at 7:38 p.m. CT.
The Omaha hockey team begins the NCHC Playoffs with quarterfinal action at No. 7/8 Western Michigan on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, if necessary, March 10-12. Starting time each night is 7:05 p.m. ET from Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich. In spite of 11 years together in the old Central Collegiate Hockey Association, this is the first playoff meeting between the two schools.
The Teams
Omaha is 16-15-5 this year and finished the NCHC regular season with a record of 9-13-2-0/0, putting it in sixth place. The Mavericks were swept in their final series, losing to Denver, 4-2 and 3-0, at home. The Mavericks are 10-5-3 away from home this season, a record that includes one neutral-site win. They split the regular season series with Western Michigan, 1-1-0, and they continue to lead the all-time series with the Broncos, 21-13-6. They are 9-7-4 all-time at WMU and 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.
Western Michigan is 20-9-5 overall and was 13-9-2-0/1 in the NCHC, putting it in third place, its highest NCHC finish. The Broncos split a pair of games with Minnesota Duluth last weekend at home, winning 7-4 before losing, 6-3. WMU is 12-3-3 at home this season and 6-2-2 in its last 10 games.
The Coaches
Dean Blais is in his eighth year as the head coach of the Mavericks, having led UNO to three 20-win campaigns in that time. The 1973 graduate of Minnesota has posted a record of 407-246-63 in his career as a head coach and has guided the Mavericks to a mark of 145-131-30. He earned his 400th career win at St. Cloud State on Dec. 9.
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 joined by associate head coach Mike Gabinet, a former UNO defenseman and a 2004 graduate, and assistant coach Leigh Mendelson, a 2015 Omaha graduate and former volunteer assistant coach for the team (2014-16).
Andy Murray is in his sixth year behind the Western Michigan Bench. The 1972 graduate of Brandon is 101-93-32 all-time in Kalamazoo. He is assisted by Dave Shyiak and Todd Krygier.
Media
Both games can be heard live on 1180 The Zone 2. Dave Ahlers will handle the play by play, and Terry Leahy provides analysis. Coverage begins 30 minutes before game time with the First National Bank Pre-Game Show. Live video can be found at NCHC.tv while live audio and stats can be found at OMavs.com.
Up Next
The Mavericks will advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff for the first time in school history if they win this weekend's series at Western Michigan. Their next game would be in the semifinals against the winner of the Minnesota Duluth/Miami series on Friday, March 17 at 7:38 p.m. CT.
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