Omaha hockey is coming off a split against Colorado College and will have its hands full this weekend as the Mavericks visit the reigning national champs.
Western Michigan earned a pair of wins in November at Baxter Arena, and the Broncos ride a nine-game winning streak into this weekend’s series.
Here’s what you need to know before the puck drops in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Omaha (9-17-0, 5-11-0) at No. 3 Western Michigan (18-6-0, 10-4-0)
Game 1: Friday, 6 p.m. CDT
Game 2: Saturday, 5 p.m. CDT
*Both games played at Lawson Ice Arena
Omaha
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (9th season, 144-148-19)
Top Scorer: Maxime Pellerin, So., F (7-8-15)
Between The Pipes: Simon Latkoczy, Sr. (5-9-0, .903 save percentage, 3.16 GAA)
Western Michigan
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Pat Ferschweiler (5th season, 122-56-4)
Top Scorer: Grant Slukynsky, Jr., F (6-21-27)
Between The Pipes: Hampton Slukynsky, So. (18-6-0, .909 save percentage, 2.42 GAA)
All-time series: Omaha leads, 36-33-6
Last matchup: Nov. 22, 2025 — WMU 4-2 win in Omaha, Neb.
Last Time Out
Omaha earned a 3-1 win over Colorado College last Friday behind two Trevor Wong goals and 25 Simon Latkoczy saves.
Friday’s game remained gridlocked until Aidan de la Gorgendiere’s power-play tally 12:16 into the second. Wong made it 2-0 early in the third and added an empty-netter in the final minute, as Omaha had been clinging to a one-goal lead.
The Mavericks had their chances but ultimately dropped Game 2, 3-1. Brett Hyland gave Omaha an early lead but Colorado College scored twice in the second and secured three points with a late empty-netter. Latkoczy made another 32 saves in the loss and earned the NCHC Goaltender of the Week for his efforts.
Omaha remains tied with Colorado College at the bottom of the NCHC standings with 15 points each, although the Mavs have the edge — winning three of the four games in the season series.
“I thought it was a good step for us this weekend,” Mike Gabinet said Tuesday afternoon. “Pockets of the game that I thought we could be better at. I thought we started tentatively a little bit both nights. Just a little bit of maybe nervous of what’s going to happen instead of initiating the game, but overall I thought the guys took a nice step.”
Gabinet said that it was encouraging to see the work his club put in throughout the week pay off with a Friday win. He added the Colorado College weekend could provide a “nice confidence boost” too.
The reality is Omaha still sits at the bottom of the NCHC and has dropped eight of its past 10 conference games, which started with a pair of losses to Western Michigan.
It’s no secret winning in Kalamazoo will be challenging, but the Mavericks are excited for the opportunity.
“I think we just need a little bit of joy and fun, and kinda take it as an opportunity to have a little jam, and go into a real tough environment and try to keep it quiet in there,” Gabinet said. “It’s obviously always a loud place to play, so I think take it as a challenge and walk right into it head-on rather than worry about it too much. I think that’s the mindset we’re going to take into this weekend.”
Trevor Wong (38) takes a faceoff against Air Force on Friday, October 3, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by Dawson Anderson. “We’ve got to score more goals,” Wong said of the key against WMU. “We’re not going to win just scoring one or two goals and relying on our goalies, obviously, and they’re rolling.”
Opponent Watch
The Broncos earned a pair of 4-3 wins in Duluth last weekend and have won nine straight. Western Michigan earned a pair of wins in Denver in its previous series as well, and the Broncos are currently third in the NCHC standings.
Pat Ferschweiler’s club averages 3.9 goals per game — which is tied for third in the country — and allows 2.5. Liam Valente, Zaccharya Wisdom and William Whitelaw continue filling the scoresheet, while Hampton Slukynsky has been good between the pipes, and WMU sits fifth in the NPI.
Western Michigan closed out November with a pair of wins in Omaha — 7-2 and 4-2.
“I thought we had a really good game on the Saturday, just one of those games where we came up short,” Gabinet said. “So just continue to build on some of those things that we did well and they’re an interesting team. They’re a very-high transition team and like to stretch guys, so you have to pick your times to be very aggressive and then pick your times also to make sure you’re defending properly.”
Final Verdict
Number to know: 53.9 — Western Michigan owns the nation’s sixth-highest team faceoff win percentage at 53.9%. Junior Owen Michaels has won 295 draws, which ranks fourth among NCAA skaters individually. Omaha ranks 54th out of 63 NCAA teams at 46.8%.
Player to Watch: Trevor Wong, So., F — Wong had four points last weekend against CC, including a three-point effort (2-1-3) on Friday. He was held point-less at Miami, but has still recorded nine of his 14 points (4-5-9) over his past 10 games.
Series prediction: WMU sweep.
