OMAHA, Neb. – The first half is complete as Omaha has entered its two-week holiday break. The Mavericks enter the break at 7-9-0 and 4-4-0 in NCHC play, but the past two months have been quite the roller coaster ride.
Despite half of its roster being new to the program, Omaha started the season with a bang, as the Mavs earned a pair of ranked wins over Minnesota and UMass in Vegas. Omaha returned home as Ice Breaker champs and climbed to No. 12 in the USCHO Poll, and there was plenty of momentum heading into the home opener.
However, they were swept by Augustana and proceeded to lose six straight, and Omaha was out-scored 17-7 in the stretch.
Tanner Ludtke earned NCHC All-Rookie Team honors last season and led the Mavericks with 28. Ludtke played in just five games this season before his upper-body injury. Photo by John S. Peterson.
A number of injuries started to pile up in that stretch too, Tanner Ludtke being the biggest, and the Mavs went into Tempe wondering if they’d even have a complete lineup.
The Mavs split that series at Arizona State, swept Miami and earned a big win at No. 9 St. Cloud State, and they looked to have turned the page and taken a step with that 4-2 stretch.
Yet this past weekend perhaps encapsulated the first half as a whole, as Omaha dropped Game 1 to Lindenwood – who came in as the 59th-ranked team in the Pairwise – and hung on for a 2-1 win in the finale.
“It’s been up and down a little bit, you’re learning and growing, but I think that’s (what happens) with a lot of new guys and guys playing different roles for the first time,” said head coach Mike Gabinet. “But I really love the group. I love their work ethic, their compete’s never a question and they’re always working, and they’ve just got to keep learning and growing.”
Gabinet’s club certainly has its work cut out for them in the second half.
Omaha is currently 47th in the Pairwise and has struggled on home ice, as they’re 3-5-0 at Baxter Arena. Although the Mavs are technically out-scoring their opponents 19-17 through their first eight home games, eight of those 19 goals came in an 8-1 win over Miami (Nov. 23) and the power play hasn’t produced.
However, there’s plenty of hockey left and the Mavs can control their destiny in the NCHC standings. If you’re looking for reasons to be optimistic, Omaha has gotten hot down the stretch the past two seasons too.
Standouts
Simon Latkoczy has limited his opponents to two or fewer goals in eight of his 14 starts, and Omaha is 5-3-0 in those eight games. Latkoczy is 6-8-0 overall and owns one shutout.
Simon Latkoczy: Where would this team be without Latkoczy? Despite the lack of offense in front of him, the junior has given Omaha a chance every night and made 423 of a possible 455 saves this season, including seven games with 30 or more. Latkoczy’s 423 saves rank 11th in the country and he owns a .930 save percentage and 2.38 GAA, both of which rank among the NCHC leaders.
Sam Stange: Stange is tied with Zach Urdahl for Omaha’s goal lead (7) and leads the way with 11 points. The Wisconsin transfer has nine of those points (5-4-9) over his past eight games and has scored several timely goals. He’s drawn constant praise from Gabinet and his teammates all season.
Cameron Mitchell: Mitchell had just three assists through his first 37 career games, yet the junior has scored four times and added an assist over his past six. Mitchell has been a key cog on Omaha’s penalty kill as well, where he’s scored two of those four goals. His 15 games played are already a career high.
Charlie Lurie: Perhaps the biggest surprise has been Lurie’s emergence over the past month, and the sophomore was rewarded with an NCHC Forward of the Week honor on Monday. After being a healthy scratch for much of last season and the first seven games this fall, Lurie has six points (3-3-6) through nine games and has earned a power-play role.
Grades
Freshman Kevin Reidler made his first home start against Lindenwood on Saturday, December 14, 2024, in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by Collin Stilen.
Goaltending: A-
Latkoczy has carried the baton and Kevin Reidler has performed well in limited action, as the freshman is 1-1-0 with a .944 save percentage and 2.17 GAA. Reidler has started twice and also made a relief appearance at St. Cloud State, making 14 saves on 15 shots.
While Latkoczy surely wants a couple goals back, Omaha’s goaltenders have done their job. They own a combined 2.36 GAA and .931 save percentage, and the Mavs are allowing 2.4 goals per game – which is tied for 19th in the NCAA.
Scoring: C-
Omaha scored a season-high eight goals in the above-mentioned Nov. 23 win over Miami. If you take that out of the picture, Omaha is averaging a hair over two goals per game in its other 15 contests, a number that’s simply not sustainable.
Even with that Miami win included, Omaha’s 2.4 goals per game are tied for 44th in the nation and its 39 goals are the NCHC’s second-fewest – just two ahead of Miami. The Mavs have been held to two or fewer goals in 10 of their first 16 games too.
Cameron Mitchell has scored a pair of short-handed goals this season and Omaha’s four SHG’s are tied for the second most in the country. Photo by Collin Stilen.
Defensive play: B-
Goaltending has played a key role but the Mavs have done a good job for the most part defending in front of them.
While the 34.3 opposing shots per game – which was nearly 36 at one point – are concerning, the Mavs have done a good job limiting high-danger chances and keeping many of those shots to the outside. Freshmen Marcus Broberg and Joe Gramer have taken steps lately while Omaha’s returners have been good.
Special Teams: C-
Omaha’s penalty kill success, especially on home ice, is frankly saving this grade. Omaha has killed 20 of its 21 opposing power plays at Baxter Arena and the Mavs own the nation’s second-best home penalty kill at 95.2%. Omaha’s overall penalty kill (37-for-44) ranks 18th in the country at 84.1%.
However, the power play has been Omaha’s Achilles’ Heel all year. The Mavs are 9-for-57 on the man advantage and three of those nine goals came in one game, and their 15.8% conversion rate ranks near the bottom of the country.
Injuries certainly haven’t helped and there’s been plenty of personnel in flux, yet they’re still generating plenty of puck movement on the unit and getting shots. However, Omaha has struggled to consistently get to the net and finish plays. The Mavs have spent too much time with the puck around the perimeter too, which Gabinet acknowledged himself earlier this season. There’s no sugarcoating it… It’s an area that needs to improve in the second half.
Looking Ahead
The Mavs return from the break with a Dec. 29 exhibition contest against Manitoba before heading to Palm Springs, Cali. Omaha returns home on Jan. 10-11 to host Colorado College, who is currently the eighth-ranked team in the nation.
The Omaha Mavericks celebrate a goal against Western Michigan on Friday, November 8, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by Jaelle Johnson.
It’s all conference play from there as Omaha has seven series left after CC – three at home (St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth and Arizona State) and four on the road (Miami, Denver, Western Michigan and North Dakota. To view the full schedule, click here.
The NCHC Playoffs are March 14-16 with the Frozen Faceoff the following weekend in St. Paul, Minn.
Omaha is currently tied for sixth in the standings with 11 points, just three points behind fourth-place St. Cloud State. The top four teams earn home ice.
