Omaha hockey is coming off a split against No. 13 UMass and will try to carry the momentum into conference play. After just four nonconference contests, the Mavericks will jump into NCHC action this weekend at No. 15 Colorado College.
Here’s what you need to know before the puck drops in Colorado Springs.
Omaha (2-2-0, 0-0-0) at No. 15 Colorado College (5-1-0, 0-0-0)
Game 1: Friday, 8 p.m. CDT
Game 2: Saturday, 7 p.m. CDT
*Both games played at Ed Robson Arena
Omaha
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (9th season, 137-131-19)
Top Scorer: Maxime Pellerin, So., F (4-2-6)
Between The Pipes: Simon Latkoczy, Sr. (2-2-0, .911 save percentage, 3.03 GAA)
Colorado College
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Kris Mayotte (5th season, 66-78-10)
Top Scorer: Owen Beckner, So., F (4-3-7)
Between The Pipes: Kaidan Mbereko, Sr. (5-1-0, .915 save percentage, 2.31 GAA)
All-time series: Omaha leads, 32-15-7
Last matchup: Jan. 11, 2025 – Omaha 3-1 win in Omaha, Neb.
Last Time Out
Mike Gabinet’s club put together an impressive effort last weekend, earning a split against No. 13 UMass.
Omaha erased a 3-1 deficit in Game 1 and held a 4-3 lead for much of the third period, only to see the Minutemen strike twice in the final nine minutes. Jack Musa put UMass ahead with just 58.2 seconds left in regulation.
However, the Mavs responded with a 5-2 win on Saturday, scoring twice in the first and adding a trio of third-period tallies. Myles Hilman potted the eventual game-winner 8:29 into the final frame and Omaha received 28 Simon Latkoczy saves en route to the win.
Now the Mavs will prepare for their first road and conference test of the 2025-26 campaign.
“Really positive weekend looking back against UMass,” Gabinet said Wednesday afternoon. “I thought we played pretty solid both nights. Obviously nice to get a big win on Saturday and clean up some things from the weekend heading into this week against Colorado College.”
Omaha is 3-9-0 all-time in its NCHC openers and has dropped its past seven. Omaha’s last conference-opening win coincidentally came against Colorado College to open the 2017-18 slate. This will be Omaha’s third time opening NCHC play against the Tigers – 2016-17 being the other.
Sophomore forward Maxime Pellerin (23) celebrates a win with the fans. Now the Mavericks will open NCHC play at Colorado College. “It’s always exciting to start NCHC play,” Gabinet said. “We all know how important points are in the NCHC. They’re hard to come by so you’ve got to be ready to go right from opening puck drop on Friday night.” Photo by Dawson Anderson.
Opponent Watch
The Tigers own a four-game win streak and are coming off a bye. Colorado College split its opening series against No. 10 UConn and has wins over Bentley, Air Force and a pair of wins at Northern Michigan.
The Tigers have out-scored their opponents 21-14 through six games and have the nation’s 12th-youngest roster, with an average age of 21.7.
The roster features 12 freshmen, eight sophomores and nine NHL draft picks, along with a pair of talented juniors — Max Burkholder and Klavs Veinbergs — and senior goaltender Kaidan Mbereko. Mbereko struggled at times in 2024-25, but was the NCHC Goalie of the Year and a First-Team All-American as a sophomore. Mbereko is 50-45-6 in his career with a .915 save percentage and 2.44 goals against average.
Kris Mayotte’s club was picked fifth in the NCHC Preseason Poll and will be Omaha’s third consecutive ranked opponent.
“They’re off to a great start, being 5-1 and ranked,” Gabinet said of the Tigers. “Not a ton has changed from previous years and they’re obviously sticking to their structure that they play. I know their coach has mentioned numerous times that this is the most deep team they’ve maybe had with some of the personnel they’ve added to their team. So they’ll be ready to go and so will we, so it should be a real good matchup.”
Omaha is 6-1-2 over the past nine meetings, which includes a pair of wins last January and two playoff wins (2023-24) in Colorado Springs. Omaha is 3-4-0 all-time at Ed Robson Arena, which is in its fifth season.
Omaha Maverick Aidan de La Gorgendiere (22) keeps his eye on the puck during a college hockey game against Minnesota State on Friday, October 10, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by Dawson Anderson.
Final Verdict
Number to know: 34 — Omaha has been out-shot 136-113 through its first four games. The Mavericks are allowing an average of 34 shots per game, the nation’s 13th-highest mark. Omaha allowed 34.8 shots per game last season and 31.2 in 2023-24.
Player to Watch: Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Jr., D — De La Gorgendiere was named the NCHC Defenseman of the Week on Monday and has quickly found a new home in Omaha. The junior is coming off a four-point series against UMass and his six points (2-4-6) are tied for the team lead. He’s also a plus-5 on the season and has blocked three shots.
Series prediction: Split
