Omaha hockey returns to NCHC play and Baxter Arena this weekend, as the Mavericks host St. Cloud State. Omaha’s last home game came on Nov. 22, and the Mavericks are 2-8-0 over their past 10.
Here’s what you need to know before the puck drops.
Omaha (7-13-0, 3-7-0) vs RV St. Cloud State (10-10-0, 3-7-0)
Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. CDT
Game 2: Saturday, 7 p.m. CDT
*Both games played at Baxter Arena
Omaha
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (9th season, 142-144-19)
Top Scorer: Luke Woodworth, Fr., F (3-11-14)
Between The Pipes: Dawson Cowan, Fr. (3-6-0, .904 save percentage, 3.16 GAA)
St. Cloud State
Conference: NCHC
Head Coach: Brett Larson (8th season, 147-107-22)
Top Scorer: Tyson Gross, Jr., F (11-16-27)
Between The Pipes: Patriks Berzins, So. (7-3-0, .922 save percentage, 2.37 GAA)
All-time series: SCSU leads, 30-20-4
Last matchup: Jan. 25, 2025 — Omaha 3-1 win in Omaha, Neb.
Last Time Out
Omaha closed out its nonconference slate last weekend with a pair of losses at No. 17 Cornell. The Mavericks battled hard both nights but dropped the opener, 6-4, and fell in the finale, 3-2.
Omaha trailed 3-0 just 9:16 into Game 1 and responded with four unanswered goals, before allowing three in the third. Omaha erased another deficit on Saturday, this time 2-0, but saw Cornell’s Jonathan Castagna net the eventual game-winner 4:33 into the third.
“Didn’t come away with a win there, which was disappointing,” Mike Gabinet said Wednesday afternoon. “They got off to a hot start (on Friday) and we found a way to climb back and get ourselves within the game, and then just the story of how it’s going for us right now. Just not finding that next play or getting the right play at the right time, and ultimately not coming away with the wins.”
Gabinet felt Saturday’s effort was much better, but added the Mavs have to do a better job executing and continue learning from their mistakes. Especially the ill-timed ones that are costing them games.
However, Gabinet is eager to see his club respond.
“I love this group,” Gabinet said. “They’re dialed in, they’re learning, they’re hungry to get better and they’re not making excuses. They know we have to be better in areas and they’re doing the work to get better in those areas.”
Opponent Watch
Simon Latkoczy remains questionable for this weekend’s series. He left the Dec. 12 game at North Dakota with an injury. Latkoczy has been practicing this week. Photo by Collin Stilen.
St. Cloud State earned a pair of wins in Palm Springs, Calif. last weekend en route to a Cactus Cup title. SCSU defeated Yale, 6-2, and UMass-Lowell, 3-2, to win the tournament.
The Huskies have won three straight going back to their Dec. 13 win over Denver, but are still 4-7-0 over their past 11. SCSU and Omaha are both 3-7-0 in NCHC play, although St. Cloud State has two more points with a pair of overtime losses.
Tyson Gross leads SCSU with 27 points, while Austin Burnevik (ANA) leads the way with 13 goals. Gross (27), Burnevik (22) and Barrett Hall (21) have all surpassed the 20-point mark, and sophomore Patriks Berzins has allowed two goals or less in seven of his 11 starts. SCSU averages 3.3 goals per game and its power play (28.9%) ranks fifth in the country.
Omaha is 5-2-1 over the past eight games against St. Cloud State at Baxter Arena, including a pair of wins last January. The Huskies are also 2-4-0 in road games this season.
“Our guys are excited,” Gabinet said. “There’s points on the line here and opportunity to have some success in conference play in the second half, and that’s where our focus is at.”
Gramer Heads To CHL
Joe Gramer prepares for a game against North Dakota on March 15th, 2025 in Omaha Nebraska. Photo by Brandon Tiedemann.
Omaha’s blue line took a hit this week as sophomore Joe Gramer left the program. Gramer officially signed with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds on Wednesday, leaving Omaha with seven defensemen.
Gramer played in 33 of Omaha’s 36 games last season and 13 of Omaha’s first 20 this year. He was sidelined by an early-season injury too.
“Obviously tough to lose somebody,” Gabinet said. “Joe’s a great kid, but just wants to play more, and welcome to 2025. In today’s landscape there’s so many options now for the players. So, disappointed to see him leave, but understand that if you want to play, he’s got choices to make too. We wish him the best and we’re looking now to see if we can fill that spot.”
Final Verdict
Number to know: 14.4 — Omaha averages 14.4 penalty minutes per game, which is the nation’s sixth-highest mark. That number includes majors and misconducts, but there’s no denying penalties have been an issue. Especially for a team that owns the nation’s fifth-worst penalty kill (72.7%). Gabinet specifically mentioned limiting penalties when asked where he’d like to see his team improve over the next few weeks, and added Omaha’s staff has “been preaching it a lot” of late. Omaha took eight minors at Cornell and allowed a pair of power-play goals in Game 1.
Player to Watch: Tyler Rollwagen, Sr., F — Rollwagen had a goal and an assist last weekend at Cornell, and the senior leads Omaha with four power-play goals. He scored a power-play goal against SCSU last January, as Omaha scored four third-period goals in a 6-3 win.
Series prediction: Split.
