Omaha Mavericks (14-10-4, 7-8-1) NCHC Standing:5th
@ #1 Minnesota- Duluth Bulldogs (17-5-4, 11-4-1) NCHC Standing: T-1st
Friday, February 3rd 7:07pm, Saturday, February 4th 7:07pm
Amsoil Arena- Duluth, MN
The UNO hockey team could not have asked for a better start on the road last week in Denver. The Mavericks raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game including a power play goal but things changed drastically in the second period, The Pioneers scored early in the second period and the flood gates opened from there. After two periods in was 4-2 Denver. That period set the tone for the weekend where Omaha could not recover and got blanked the following night. So the Mavs are once again forced to recover from a demoralizing weekend sweep but unlike last time when UNO was swept by North Dakota, they don't have the luxury of facing Colorado College. They get the best in the country. Top ranked Minnesota-Duluth already owns a road sweep over the Mavs early this season and has played strong hockey all year. The Bulldogs will present a challenge in just about every phase of the game.
As fans discuss the remaining season outcome that will best present a path to the NCAA tournament the players need to put everything into Friday's matchup. Nothing else matters. The PairWise ranking, the conference standing, and the remaining schedule all should be the last thing on this group's mind. Play three periods of quality hockey and hope that will be enough to get the win. Then on to the next one. Omaha's has an experienced team and that needs to have a presence in this series. Experienced teams are often more resilient in adverse situations. They face that situation now. The Mavericks have to find success this weekend to convince themselves they can handle the remaining challenges. It's amazing how one great night can turn a season on a dime. The rankings and confidence will take care of itself. The opportunity resides in the Amsoil Arena this weekend for the Mavs.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: These teams faced off back in November with UMD sweeping the Mavs 6-4 and 3-2. Omaha had to play catch-up both nights and kept things interesting but ultimately fell short. Getting a lead and finding a way to finish will be key if UNO looks to reverse their fortunes. The power play was a big weapon against the Bulldogs in the earlier meeting. Out of six goals scored by Omaha, 5 of them were power play goals. The Mavericks were just of 1 of 9 on power play opportunities against Denver and saw their success rate drop to 24.8 percent on the season, which is still sixth best in the NCAA. It's an area that UNO must somehow expose considering the Bulldogs are only killing 79% of penalties (46th nationally).
The Bulldogs are led by a speedy forward Alex Iafallo. The senior has 12 goals and 15 helpers. Much like Denver, the Bulldogs rely on one of the top defensive units in college hockey led by their senior captain Carson Soucy and sophomore Neil Pionk. UMD's defense is ranked 5th in the NCAA allowing just over 2 goals per contest.
BETWEEN THE PIPES: The Mavericks will face another solid goaltender this weekend. Hunter Miska is tied for the conference lead in wins with 16 and an overall record of 16-4-2. The freshman has a GAA of 2.07 and a save percentage of .925 which is among the league's best.
Omaha rolled the dice with freshman Kris Oldham on Friday against Denver and he played well early making some big saves before the defense fell apart in the 2nd period. Sophomore Evan Wenninger who was coming off of a shutout the previous weekend against Miami-Ohio, got the start Saturday night allowing five goals but turned away 38 shots. It will be interesting to see who Dean Blais tabs as the Friday night starter.
THE SERIES: UMD leads the all-time series over the Mavericks with a record of 14-9-2 and 6-2-2 in Duluth.
