Omaha hockey returns home and desperately needs a successful weekend as the Mavericks host Colorado College.
The Mavs and Tigers are currently tied at the bottom of the NCHC standings with 12 points each, and if the Mavericks want to make a second-half run, they’ll need as many points as they can get — starting this weekend.
Here’s what you need to know before the puck drops at Baxter Arena.
Omaha (8-16-0, 4-10-0) vs. Colorado College (9-10-3, 3-6-3)
Game 1: Friday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. CDT
Game 2: Saturday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. CDT
*Both games played at Baxter Arena
Omaha
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (9th season, 143-147-19)
Top Scorer: Maxime Pellerin, So., F (7-8-15)
Between The Pipes: Simon Latkoczy, Sr. (4-8-0, .896 save percentage, 3.44 GAA)
Colorado College
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Kris Mayotte (5th season, 70-87-12)
Top Scorer: Owen Beckner, So., F (6-10-16)
Between The Pipes: Kaidan Mbereko, Sr. (9-9-3, .910 save percentage, 2.57 GAA)
All-time series: Omaha leads, 34-15-7
Last matchup: Nov. 1, 2025 — Omaha 5-4 win in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Last Time Out
Omaha is coming off one of the program’s most disappointing weekends in recent memory. Miami (Ohio) handed the Mavericks a pair of losses in Oxford, Ohio; 3-0 and 6-2. It was Miami’s first NCHC sweep since the 2021-22 season.
Penalties, turnovers and mistakes all proved costly once again, as Omaha allowed three third-period goals in Friday’s loss and fell behind 4-0 on Saturday. Miami scored a pair of power-play tallies and a short-handed goal in Game 2.
Simon Latkoczy returned from injury on Friday and made 22 saves, and Dawson Cowan made 34 on Saturday. The Redhawks outshot the Mavs 40-21 in Game 2, and Sean Tschigerl and Myles Hilman scored Omaha’s lone goals of the weekend.
Omaha is 3-7-0 on home ice this season but will look to add a pair of wins against Colorado College. “Nobody in there wants to be losing, I’ll tell you that much,” Gabinet said. “But we’ve got to deal with it and keep pushing, and you never know when the tide’s gonna change. I believe it’s gonna change.” Photo by Collin Stilen.
However, last weekend is in the past, and the focus has shifted completely to Colorado College.
“I think it’s smart any time you’re going through adversity to narrow the focus a little bit,” Gabinet said Wednesday afternoon. “Shift by shift, day by day, game by game is a smart place to live. As much as you can be in the present as possible, that’s usually what drives the best outcome.”
Omaha is 3-7-0 at home this season and 1-7-0 over its past eight NCHC contests, but with 10 regular-season games left, nobody inside Omaha’s locker room is ready to mail it in.
“We have not given up,” Latkoczy said. “We’re still here and we’re still fighting, and we believe in each other. I think that 10 games is a good amount of games in college hockey, and that’s a good amount of points. I think there’s a lot that can still happen and a lot can change. We just have to stick to the process in my opinion and do the work.”
“I don’t think this team is ever not trying hard,” Gabinet added. “I think that’s one of the make-ups we’ve had for a long time with that compete and work ethic, and when you get punched in the face a couple times, you’re gonna naturally be a little down. But you’ve got to get yourself right back up and get back to work.”
Opponent Watch
Colorado College earned an 8-3 exhibition win over Simon Fraser last Saturday, but the Tigers are 1-4-2 over their past seven.
After a 5-1-0 start in October, NCHC play hasn’t treated the Tigers as kindly, and despite being in every game, Colorado College sits below .500. The Tigers are 4-6-3 in games decided by one goal or less.
Kris Mayotte’s roster is the nation’s 12th-youngest and it’s been hampered by key injuries too. Junior captain and reigning All-NCHC Second Team selection Max Burkholder suffered a season-ending injury in the team’s third game. Owen Beckner, Colorado College’s current leading scorer, has also been sidelined since Nov. 29. Although Beckner played in Saturday’s exhibition and is expected to return this weekend. Dane Montgomery and Philippe Blais-Savoie have missed time too.
It’s still a talented roster, which features 10 NHL draft picks, and the Tigers are led by senior Kaidan Mbereko — who was an All-American as a sophomore and arguably the nation’s top freshman goaltender in 2022-23.
Omaha has won six straight against Colorado College and is 7-1-2 over the past 10 against the Tigers at Baxter Arena. Perhaps the road November sweep can give the Mavs a confidence boost too.
Simon Latkoczy is happy to be back from his lower-body injury, and he’ll make his first home start since Nov. 21 this weekend. “It’s never great to be injured,” Latkoczy said. “We all want to play and we all want to be healthy. Unfortunately, that’s part of the journey and injuries are part of the season.” Photo by Dawson Anderson.
Final Verdict
Number to know: 2.7 — Omaha and Colorado College both average 2.7 goals per game, which is tied for 40th nationally. Goals have typically been at a premium between these two teams in recent years, especially with Latkoczy and Mbereko battling between the pipes, and both teams have struggled to score in recent weeks too.
Player to Watch: Simon Latkoczy, Sr., G — Latkoczy’s start last Friday was his first game action since Dec. 12, as the senior missed the past seven games with an injury. Latkoczy has enjoyed success against the Tigers too, as he’s 7-2-2 in his career and has stopped 356 of the 373 shots (.954) Colorado College has fired his way.
Series prediction: Split.
