Omaha’s 2024-25 season is complete and it’s shaping up to be another busy summer inside Baxter Arena.
Nine Mavericks have entered the transfer portal since last Sunday, including sophomore forward Tanner Ludtke and freshman goaltender Kevin Reidler.
Ludtke was limited to eight games this season by an upper-body injury, but the Utah pick (2023, 3rd) had a team-leading 28 points and was an NCHC All-Rookie Team selection in 2023-24. Ludtke is heading to the University of Minnesota while Reidler, an Ottawa draft pick (2022, 5th), remains in the portal. Reidler went 4-1-0 with a .920 save percentage and 2.74 GAA.
The two were joined by Noah Ellis, Dylan Gratton, Charlie Lurie, Alexi Van-Houtte Cachero, Isaiah Norlin, Garrett Pinoniemi and Liam Watkins. A full portal list can be found here.
Between the nine portal entries and graduates, Omaha currently has 11 potential returning players next fall. Simon Latkoczy, Griffin Ludtke, Cameron Mitchell, Jacob Slipec and Tyler Rollwagen have officially announced they’ll return for their senior seasons. Marcus Broberg, Will Craig, Joe Gramer, Jacob Guevin, Myles Hilman and Chase LaPinta are eligible to return as well. Guevin would be a senior and Craig a junior, while the other four would be sophomores.
Omaha Mavericks after a college hockey game against North Dakota on March 15th, 2025 in Omaha Nebraska. Photo by Brandon Tiedemann.
The Mavericks finished the regular season with a 18-17-1 record and went 14-9-1 in NCHC play, earning 44 points. Omaha finished fourth in the standings and earned a home playoff series against North Dakota. However, the Mavs were swept in two games.
Jordan McAlpine recently caught up with head coach Mike Gabinet to recap this season and preview what’s ahead, as the focus quickly shifts to 2025-26.
*Some answers and questions were slightly edited for clarity*
Q: What were your biggest takeaways from this season?
Gabinet: I thought we just saw a lot of constant growth and it was really great to see how many players grew throughout the year on an individual basis from where they started to where they finished. And as a staff, we had a lot of pride watching that growth.
Q: Half your roster was new and injuries played a factor too. Plus all three opponents (Augustana, Minnesota State and Western Michigan) went on to have successful seasons… What do you think contributed to the six-game skid and how tough was the start?
Gabinet: You have to look at things from a non-emotional lens and even though the results weren’t going our way, I liked parts of our game. Five of the six games were decided by one goal too and when you’re in those tight games, they could’ve gone either way. They went our way more in the second half, but it wasn’t something we could sweep under the rug and we had to have some tough conversations. But we also had to keep the belief in the group, and we did. So I just think we did a good job of navigating that stretch and found ways to get better.
Q: You mentioned that belief factor… How proud were you of the group’s response?
Gabinet: Yeah, I think everyone really just looked in the mirror and figured out ways to get better, our guys just kept that belief. They knew they were capable of coming out of it better on the other side and I think you saw that before the (Christmas) break and throughout the second half. I think some of the time when you go through those ups and downs together, you can develop more chemistry and come together as a team too, and I think that’s exactly what happened.
Q: Who impressed you the most this season?
Gabinet: There’s a lot of guys but obviously Simon (Latkoczy) is the first that comes to mind. He just continued to get better and his play speaks for itself. I think he’s a star goalie in our league and we were happy to see him get rewarded. I think Sam Stange was another guy, going from being a healthy scratch for a lot of last season to a second-team All-NCHC player. And I think another guy that comes to mind is Jacob Guevin. Guevs really took a step, not only offensively, but also with the defensive side of his game. He was just a really solid player and complete defender for us.
Omaha Mavericks Simon Latkoczy blocks a shot during a college hockey game against North Dakota on March 14th, 2025 in Omaha Nebraska. Photo by Brandon Tiedemann.
Q: With Simon specifically, how valuable is having him back next year?
Gabinet: It’s huge and it really helps knowing that heading into the offseason. He’s a phenomenal individual, hockey aside, and it’s tremendous having him in our locker room. But when you combine that with him being an all-conference caliber goalie, he’s really a cornerstone of our program.
Q: You’ve lost one of your most reliable defensemen in Nolan Krenzen, but as of now, Griffin Ludtke, Jacob Guevin, Joe Gramer and Marcus Broberg will all be back on the blue line… Thoughts on that returning group?
Gabinet: We’re excited to get those guys back and it really gives us a good foundation to build around on the blue line. I think any time you can have some of that continuity moving forward, that’s going to help. I felt all four of those guys took steps last season and are only going to continue getting better.
Q: The power play was an issue all season… Did you see any progress and how do you go about addressing that this summer?
Gabinet: I think we’ve seen it over the years and when our power play does well, our team does well, and it was a part of our success in the second half. But we know we need it to be better and find some more consistency, and we’ll take a look at it. When the power play is rolling, good things are usually happening.
Q: You guys have seen a number of players transfer here and take off. Brady Risk, Harrison Israels, Sam Stange, Zach Urdahl, Jake Pivonka, Jack Randl, Kevin Conley… The list goes on. How much can you sell that to potential targets or incoming players?
Gabinet: It’s huge and I think some of that success speaks for itself. When guys consider coming here, I think they know we’ve helped a lot of those guys develop their game and take it to new heights. I think we have a great group of coaches here that care about the individuals and want to help them get better, and when you combine that with a motivated athlete and they take personal responsibility, that’s when special things happen. And we’ve seen a bunch of examples of that here the last few years.
Omaha Mavericks Brady Risk and Harrison Israels locked in for second period during a hockey match at Baxter Arena on Saturday, January 25, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by Collin Stilen.
Q: The program has already gotten a number of major junior commitments out of Canada… How has your staff managed this current college hockey landscape so far?
Gabinet: It’s a little overwhelming at times, but it’s also exciting, and just like everybody else we’re trying to navigate it. It’s a lot of hard work and it’s added an entirely new pool of players, and we’re still learning as we go as well. Because you can’t deny the NCAA landscape is still changing. But I think you have to move forward and be courageous in what you’re doing, and you have to learn along the way. So we’ve had some success so far and continue progressing, and I think that’s all you can do in a little bit of an unknown environment.
Q: What is your biggest focus heading into next season?
Gabinet: I think the thing we’re focused on the most is just keep improving as much as possible. We want to find the best possible student-athletes while also maintaining the elite culture we’ve established here from the guys before. So I think if we can continue putting together a competitive roster while maintaining that culture and character level, we like where we’re at.
