The Mavericks remain on the road to open the new year, as Omaha hockey visits No. 17 Cornell this weekend. It’ll be the fifth and sixth all-time meetings between the two programs, and Omaha’s fourth consecutive road series.
Here’s what you need to know before the puck drops in Ithaca, N.Y.
Omaha (7-11-0, 3-7-0) at No. 17 Cornell (7-4-0, 6-2-0)
Game 1: Friday, 6 p.m. CDT
Game 2: Saturday, 6 p.m. CDT
*Both games played at Lynah Rink
Omaha
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (9th season, 142-142-19)
Top Scorer: Luke Woodworth, Fr., F (3-10-13)
Between The Pipes: Dawson Cowan, Fr. (3-4-0, .912 save percentage, 2.89 GAA)
Cornell
Conference: ECAC
Head Coach: Casey Jones (14th season, 241-189-56)
Top Scorer: Ryan Walsh, Jr., F (3-9-12)
Between The Pipes: Alexis Cournoyer, Fr. (6-3-0, .937 save percentage, 1.69 GAA)
All-time series: Cornell leads, 2-1-1
Last matchup: Nov. 1, 2014 — Omaha 2-1 win in Ithaca.
Last Time Out
Omaha returned from the break Tuesday night with an exhibition game against Manitoba.
Aidan de la Gorgendiere scored late in the opening period, Myles Hilman and Jeremy Loranger added second-period goals and Jacob Slipec tacked on an empty-netter, en route to a 4-1 win. Freshman Dawson Cowan stopped all 16 shots he saw over his two periods before giving way to Will Craig. Omaha out-shot Manitoba 27-22 and converted on one of its three power-play chances.
The Mavericks won their final game before the break as well, 4-1 at Augustana (Dec. 20). The win salvaged a split, as Omaha fell 7-4 in Game 1. Loranger scored twice, Luke Woodworth and Jacob Guevin each had a pair of assists, and Cowan made 36 saves in the win in Sioux Falls.
Now the Mavericks will try to build on it at Cornell. Omaha is 5-5-0 in road games this season and will return home next weekend (Jan. 9-10) against St. Cloud State.
Checked in at Lynah Rink 🙌#ForThe402 pic.twitter.com/g13IhWdZzV
— Omaha Hockey (@OmahaHKY) January 2, 2026
Opponent Watch
Cornell will be Omaha’s eighth ranked opponent of the season. The Big Red come in 17th in the latest USCHO Poll and sit 14th in the NPI. Cornell is also tied atop the ECAC standings with 18 points.
Casey Jones’ club won its final game (Dec. 6) before the break in dominant fashion, 7-2 at St. Lawrence. Jonathan Castagna picked up three points (1-2-3), seven different players lit the lamp and Remington Keopple made 18 saves.
The win snapped a brief two-game skid, as Cornell fell to No. 19 Boston University, 2-1, and Clarkson, 4-1. Cornell had won four straight and six of its previous seven heading into that BU game.
Cornell allows 1.7 goals per game, the nation’s second best mark, and owns the nation’s third-highest faceoff win percentage (55.3%). Castagna leads the club with six goals, including two on the power play and two short-handed, and is one of three Cornell players with 10 or more points. Charlie Major (4-7-11) and Ryan Walsh (3-9-12) being the others.
Cornell’s 11 games played are tied with Harvard for the nation’s fewest. The Big Red are 4-0-0 on home ice this season.
Final Verdict
Number to know: 19 — Cornell has allowed just 19 goals through 11 games. The Big Red have allowed more than two goals just once this season.
Player to Watch: Jeremy Loranger, Fr., F — Loranger scored his first two NCAA goals at Augustana and again in Omaha’s exhibition win over Manitoba. The freshman had four shots against Manitoba. Loranger is a Columbus draft pick (2025, 198th overall).
Series prediction: Split.
