Omaha hockey is coming off a ranked road win and a bye, as the Mavericks prepare for their final six games of the regular season. The final stretch begins this weekend, as Omaha hosts No. 8 Denver.
Here’s what you need to know before the puck drops at Baxter Arena.
Omaha (10-18-0, 6-12-0) vs. No. 8 Denver (17-11-3, 13-6-1)
Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. CDT
Game 2: Saturday, 7 p.m. CDT (Senior Night)
*Both games played at Baxter Arena
Omaha
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (9th season, 145-149-19)
Top Scorer: Luke Woodworth, Fr. (4-13-17)
Between The Pipes: Simon Latkoczy, Sr. (6-10-0, .905 save percentage, 3.14 GAA)
Denver
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: David Carle (8th season, 196-85-20)
Top Scorer: Eric Pohlkamp, Jr., D (16-11-27)
Between The Pipes: Quentin Miller, Fr. (12-10-2, .916 save percentage, 2.39 GAA)
All-time series: Denver leads, 42-14-6
Last matchup: Feb. 1, 2025 — DU 11-2 win in Denver, Colo.
Last Time Out
Omaha enjoyed a bye last week and is coming off arguably its best win of the season, as the Mavericks closed out January with a 4-1 victory in Kalamazoo.
Marc Lajoie (PP), Brett Hyland, Marcus Nguyen and Luke Woodworth (ENG) lit the lamp, and Simon Latkoczy made 28 saves, as the Mavericks snapped Western Michigan’s 10-game win streak. It was just the Broncos’ seventh home loss since the start of the 2024-25 season.
With a much-needed week of recovery and rest behind them, Mike Gabinet’s Mavericks are prepared for another big series and ranked foe — their 10th of the season — in No. 8 Denver. Omaha has split its past three series.
“To stick with it and have the resiliency of the group to keep showing up and battling and come away with a huge win was massive,” Gabinet said Wednesday afternoon. “Not only you’re getting three points, but being that opponent and coming off a CC weekend that was pretty good and St. Cloud before that, it’s just nice to get some momentum. We’ve had some wins every weekend here and want to keep that moving forward.”
Join @OmahaHKY’s head coach @Mike_Gabinet and freshman forward Marcus Nguyen at 2:30 p.m. CT ahead of facing No. 8 Denver from Feb. 13-14 at Baxter Arena. https://t.co/Mp14FGl0ep
— Omaha Mavericks (@omavs) February 11, 2026
Omaha currently sits ninth in the NCHC standings with 18 points — one behind Arizona State, two behind Colorado College and six behind Miami. The top eight teams qualify for the NCHC Playoffs.
Omaha has just six regular-season games remaining, four of which will be on home ice. Omaha hosts Denver this weekend and Miami (Feb. 27-28) with a trip to Arizona State (Feb. 20-21) in between.
“It’s playoff hockey,” Nguyen said of this weekend’s series. “Details are gonna be number one. They’re a skilled team over there and you give credit where credit’s due, but I think it’s gonna be a playoff series. Every shift matters, every period matters and it’s gonna come down to those details.”
Tyler Rollwagen will be one of seven seniors honored on Saturday, along with Jacob Guevin, Samuel Huo, Simon Latkoczy, Griffin Ludtke, Cameron Mitchell and Jacob Slipec. Photo by Dawson Anderson.
Opponent Watch
Denver is coming off a 4-1 win over Colorado College, which was arguably its most complete game of the season. The Pioneers are unbeaten over their past five (4-0-1) and currently sit second in the NCHC with 40 points — just two behind North Dakota.
David Carle once again guides one of the nation’s highest-scoring teams and junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp leads Denver offensively. The San Jose draft pick leads all NCAA defensemen with 16 goals and is tied for the point lead (28), both of which lead the Pioneers. Pohlkamp’s 28 points rank 38th among NCAA skaters overall.
Junior forward Sam Harris and senior forward Rieger Lorenz each have 11 goals, which is tied for second on the club. Lorenz carries a three-game goal streak into Omaha and has scored in four of his past five.
Freshman goaltender Quentin Miller has been a bright spot as well. However, Miller has been sidelined since Jan. 24 with an injury and his status remains unknown for this weekend. Freshman Johnny Hicks made 30 saves in last Friday’s shootout win at Colorado College and another 17 in Saturday’s win.
Denver is 9-6-1 on the road season and is 16-9-3 all-time in Omaha.
“Denver’s a high-octane team that has a lot of talent. It’s what they’ve been known for for a long time,” Gabinet said. “You do your pre-scout and do the tactical things you want to do to be successful against those guys. But I think again, it’s about us. Just like we talked about on Saturday on Western Michigan. Focus on ourselves and make sure we’re prepared to go, and bring the best version of ourselves ready to compete and battle.”
Jacob Guevin takes a shot during a hockey match against the UMass Minutemen at Baxter Arena on Oct. 24th, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by Collin Stilen.
Final Verdict
Number to know: 105 — Denver has lit the lamp 105 times this season, which ranks seventh among NCAA and second among NCHC teams. The Pioneers average 3.4 goals per game while allowing just 2.3 — the nation’s ninth-lowest mark.
Player to Watch: Brett Hyland, So., F — Hyland scored the game-winner last time out at Western Michigan and has points in three of his past four games, including a pair of goals. Hyland’s six goals are tied for third on Omaha’s roster.
Series prediction: Denver sweep.
