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The Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey team, also called the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks and UNO Mavericks,The school's athletic identity varies according to the source: * The school historically used "Nebraska–Omaha" (with a dash or hyphen) or "UNO", but now brands its program as "Omaha". Its all-sports conference,
The Summit League ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
, has exclusively used "Omaha" since the school joined that league in 2012. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference now uses "Omaha" as well. * The non-hyphenated "Nebraska Omaha", which reflects the university's official name, was consistently used by the Western Collegiate Hockey Association during the school's tenure in that conference. The school's athletic program has never used this specific form. * National media tend to use the hyphenated "Nebraska-Omaha".
is a
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA) Division I
college ice hockey College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America. In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the go ...
program that represents the
University of Nebraska Omaha The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was origin ...
. The Mavericks are a member of the
National Collegiate Hockey Conference The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference. The league was formed on July 9, 2011 and began playing for the 2013–14 season, the same season that the Big Ten Conference began competition, as a ...
(NCHC). They play home games at Baxter Arena, an on-campus facility that opened in 2015. The Mavericks hockey program was started in 1997; the team has qualified for the NCAA tournament on four occasions, in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
,
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, and
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
. During the 2015 tournament, the team made their first appearance in the tournament semifinals, branded by the NCAA as the Frozen Four. The Mavericks competed in the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previ ...
(CCHA) between 1999 and 2010 before joining the WCHA for the 2010–11 season. The Mavericks joined the
National Collegiate Hockey Conference The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference. The league was formed on July 9, 2011 and began playing for the 2013–14 season, the same season that the Big Ten Conference began competition, as a ...
starting in the 2013–14 season along with fellow charter members Colorado College, the University of Denver, Miami University, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and the University of North Dakota, plus invited founding members St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University.


History


Early history (1995–1999)

In June 1995, the University of Nebraska Omaha began talks with local hockey supporters on the feasibility of a varsity men's ice hockey program. Shortly thereafter, the school re-hired long-time
Athletic Director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches a ...
Don Leahy. Leahy returned to the school after a ten-year absence to start the hockey program. On May 1, 1996, the university announced that they would add a varsity men's ice hockey team for the 1997–98 season. Although the school was a Division II team in all other sports, UNO joined Division I for ice hockey. Season tickets went on sale shortly thereafter. By May 16 of that year, the university capped season ticket sales at 6,389 just two weeks after the university announced the creation of the team. The Omaha City Council, encouraged by the support for the Mavericks, approved an ice sheet for the
Omaha Civic Auditorium Omaha Civic Auditorium was a multi-purpose convention center located in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1954, it surpassed the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum as the largest convention/entertainment complex in the city, until the completion of CHI Health Center ...
shortly thereafter. On June 26, 1996, Leahy hired Mike Kemp to be the first Maverick hockey coach. Kemp had spent the previous 14 years as an assistant and head recruiter for the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
, helping them to nine NCAA tournament appearances and a national championship in 1990. It was a return to Omaha for Kemp, who was the head coach for UNO's club hockey team in its brief existence in 1975 and 1976. Kemp hired former NHL first round draft choice David Quinn as his top assistant and head recruiter, and set about recruiting a team for the 1997 season. They establish the school's first Division I men's ice hockey program, which began playing during the
1997–98 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season The 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 1997 and concluded with the 1998 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament's championship game on April 4, 1998, at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. This was the ...
. UNO played its first season as an Independent in 1997-98. On October 17, 1997, a sellout crowd at the Civic Auditorium saw the team for the first time in a 3–2 exhibition loss to the
University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
. Despite a midseason ten-game losing streak, the Mavericks finished with an encouraging 12–18–3 record. The Mavericks earned a surprising sweep over traditional powerhouse
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
and a 4–3 road victory over
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, a night after losing 11–0. The team sold out all 19 of their home games to finish second in the NCAA in attendance. Following UNO's first season, the Mavericks made the somewhat surprising decision to apply for membership to the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previ ...
. Many expected the school to seek admission to the
Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college ice hockey conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated as a me ...
, as the conference was a better geographic fit and included UNO's Division II
North Central Conference The North Central Conference (NCC), also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II. History The NCC ...
rivals Minnesota State,
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
, and St. Cloud State. However, the school was intrigued by matchups against big-name foes like
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
,
Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
, and Notre Dame, and was accepted into the CCHA on June 24, 1998. UNO would become a full member of the conference starting with the 1999–2000 season. The Mavericks struggled in their second season as an independent, starting the season 2–18–0 en route to an 11–24–0 record. UNO won only one of seven games against future CCHA opponents, a 6–1 victory over
Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
. Despite the poor record, the school once again sold out all of its home games, finishing third in the NCAA in home attendance.


CCHA years (1999–2009)

UNO surprised many in the 1999–2000 season, its first in the CCHA. The team finished with a 10–12–6 record in the conference, good for seventh in the conference and a berth in the CCHA tournament. The Mavericks took the best-of-three first-round series at fourth-seeded
Northern Michigan Northern Michigan (also known as Northern Lower Michigan and colloquially within Michigan as "Up North") is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region, which is distinct from the more northerly Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsul ...
. In other first-round action, eighth-seeded
Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
upset Lake Superior State; the Falcons' victory meant that the Civic Auditorium would host a one-game playoff for the right to go to the CCHA Final Four. In front of a sellout raucous home crowd, the Mavericks won 3–1 in a game that became known in Maverick lore as simply "Tuesday Night". The Mavericks kept the Cinderella run alive at the Final Four, as they stunned top-seeded
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
7–4 in front of a pro-Michigan crowd at
Joe Louis Arena Joe Louis Arena was an arena in Downtown Detroit. Completed in 1979 at a cost of US$57 million as a replacement for Olympia Stadium, it sat adjacent to Cobo Center on the bank of the Detroit River and was accessible by the Joe Louis Arena ...
. UNO entered the tournament final against
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
one game away from qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in their first year as a CCHA member. After the teams entered the first intermission scoreless, the Spartans scored three goals over a 5:29 span in the second period to break the game open en route to a 6–0 victory. On the heels of their surprising run at the 2000 CCHA Tournament, the Mavericks began the season ranked number 13 in the USCHO.com Poll and number 14 in the ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' poll, the first time the Mavericks had been nationally ranked in their short history. The Mavericks hosted the Maverick Stampede for the first time that year, a four-team season opening tournament that has been held in each year since 2000. The UNO topped Niagara in the tournament before falling to 4th-ranked
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
in the final. Perhaps as a result of heightened expectations, the Mavericks struggled early in the season, falling to a season worst 6–8–0 at the end of November. The team eventually put things together, finishing with the school's first winning record at 24–15–3. After falling out of both polls by midseason, the Mavericks were ranked #13 in the final USCHO.com and USA Today polls, although they again came up just short of the then-12 team NCAA Tournament. The 24 victories are still a Maverick record for a single season. Sophomore David Brisson tallied 22 goals and 47 points, shattering the team record in both categories that he had set a year earlier (17, 32). Following the season, future
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
er Greg Zanon became the first Mav to be named an All-American, when the ACHA named him to their All-America Second Team. The 2001–02 season was a mixture of success and disappointment for UNO. For the second consecutive year, UNO posted more than 20 wins, finishing 21–16–4. Zanon again was named second-team All-America; he was joined on the team by Jeff Hoggan, who topped Brisson's school record with 24 goals. However, the team again failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, a disappointment given that the team had been ranked as high as #5 in both major polls early in the season and returned its top four points scorers and future NHL
goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...
Dan Ellis Daniel, Danny or Dan Ellis may refer to: Sports *Dan Ellis (ice hockey) (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey player *Danny Ellis (footballer, born 1985), English footballer for Guiseley, Harrogate, Farsley, and Darlington *Daniel Ellis (footballer, bor ...
from the previous season's 24-win team. The Mavericks were unable to build on the consecutive winning seasons in the following years. In 2002–03, the team was within striking distance of a third consecutive winning season before limping to a 13–22–5 record after going winless in their last eight games. The 2002–03 would be the last in which UNO was a full-time tenant of the Civic Auditorium after selling out all 131 games that they played in the arena. Following the season, they would move to the newly constructed 14,700-seat
Qwest Center Omaha CHI Health Center Omaha is an arena and convention center in the central United States, located in the North Downtown neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. Operated by the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA), the facility has a ...
. The following season, 2003–04, was the Mavericks' worst to date, as a young UNO team finished last in the conference with an 8–26–5 record. Despite this, the Mavericks continued to draw fans; although the team was unable to sell out the new arena, they finished fourth in the NCAA in attendance. The Mavericks rebounded the following season to finish 19–16–4. The team was led by a promising set of young players. Sophomore Scott Parse tallied a team-high 49 points, and freshman Bill Thomas added 45 more. Following the season, Thomas was named CCHA Freshman of the Year and Kemp was named CCHA Coach of the Year, the first two major awards in the program's history. The 2005–06 season was UNO's most successful to date. The team used a ten-game unbeaten streak in January and February to finish 20–12–6 to earn their first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament. Parse set team records with 41 assists and 61 points and was UNO's first
Hobey Baker Award The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 44 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton Universit ...
finalist. Following the season, Parse became the first Maverick selected as a first-team All-American and Conference Player of the Year. Thomas scored a team-record 27 goals, combining with Parse to form the most potent first line in UNO history. The two helped the Mavericks to 141 goals, the most in the CCHA. The team struggled defensively after the previous year's goaltender Chris Holt signed with the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
in the offseason. Walk-on freshman Jerad Kaufmann – the third-string goalie at the beginning of the season – eventually laid claim to the job. UNO's inexperience eventually got the best of the team, as they were dominated by
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
in a 9–2 loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Terriers broke open a 1–1 game with a six-goal second period to end UNO's first NCAA Tournament appearance. Once again, the Mavericks could not build on their successes in the following seasons, as they finished in the middle of the pack each year in the conference. The squad finished two games over .500 in 2006–07, followed by finishing two games under .500 for the next two seasons. In 2008–09, the team started out 12–4–3 – the best start in school history – before collapsing down the stretch and winning only three of their last 21 games.


WCHA years (2010–2013)

The disappointing 2008–09 season led many to speculate about the future of the program. On April 29, 2009, UNO hired former
University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
Trev Alberts as
athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches a ...
. Alberts immediately began overhauling the hockey program. Kemp had one year remaining on his contract as coach and had little chance for an extension following the team's failure to build on the success of the 2006 NCAA Tournament team. Not willing to let go of the only coach the program had ever had, Alberts promoted Kemp to Associate Athletic Director and placed him in charge of the hockey program. Shortly thereafter, Alberts made a huge splash by hiring former
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
coaching great Dean Blais as head coach. With Blais on board, observers quickly began speculating that UNO would join the WCHA. With the men's side of
College Hockey America College Hockey America (CHA) was a college ice hockey conference in the United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The conference's final membership featured six women's teams, with three in Pennsylvani ...
breaking up following the 2009–10 season, Bemidji State submitted an application to be the WCHA's 11th member. The WCHA made it clear that they would only consider expansion in even numbers; rumors circulated that the conference coveted UNO. Within ten days of Blais's hiring, speculation was put to rest as the WCHA announced on June 23 that UNO (along with Bemidji State) would join the league for the 2010–11 season. The Mavericks once again finished in the middle of the conference in their final season in the CCHA, although they did finish with 20 wins for only the third time in school history, with a 20–16–6 record. The team struggled early in the season before finishing strong in Blais's first season with the team, finishing the regular season 10–3–1 over their last fourteen games before being stopped by Ferris State in the CCHA playoffs. UNO joined the WCHA as a full-time member starting with the 2010–11 season. The Mavericks started the season on a positive note, as they stunned
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
with a two-game sweep at
Mariucci Arena 3M Arena at Mariucci ( ) or 3M Arena is the home arena for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team of the University of Minnesota. The arena is located on the Minneapolis campus and seats approximately 10,000 fans (9,600 in the main b ...
in their first ever conference battle. UNO continued its hot start through the beginning of November by winning seven of their first eight games. The team was ranked #6 and #7 in the two major polls, their highest ranking since 2001. The Mavericks ended the regular season 3rd in the WCHA with a conference record of 17-9-2 and advanced to their first ever WCHA Tournament before being upset with a two-game sweep in the first round by 10th seeded Bemidji State. Despite the loss the Mavericks qualified for the 2011 NCAA Tournament ranked 14th in the National Pairwise rankings. UNO received a 3rd seed in the West Regional, located in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
and played 2nd seeded
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
in the first round. The first period ended with UNO up 2-0 but the Wolverines rallied in the second period and both teams went scoreless in the third, sending the game to overtime. The Mavericks' season came to an end 2:35 into overtime after a shot off a faceoff by and rebound goal by Wolverine sophomore, Kevin Lynch, followed by a ten-minute review to confirm the goal.


Season-by-season results

Source:


Arenas

*
Omaha Civic Auditorium Omaha Civic Auditorium was a multi-purpose convention center located in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1954, it surpassed the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum as the largest convention/entertainment complex in the city, until the completion of CHI Health Center ...
(1997–2003) * CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003–2015) * Baxter Arena (2015–present) UNO played at the
Omaha Civic Auditorium Omaha Civic Auditorium was a multi-purpose convention center located in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1954, it surpassed the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum as the largest convention/entertainment complex in the city, until the completion of CHI Health Center ...
in its first six years of existence (1997–2003). The school capped season ticket sales at just below 6,400 tickets within two weeks after the program's inception was announced in May 1996. The Mavericks eventually sold out the 8,314-seat arena 131 consecutive times between October 1997 and March 2003. Following the 2002–03 season, the team moved to what was then known as
Qwest Center Omaha CHI Health Center Omaha is an arena and convention center in the central United States, located in the North Downtown neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. Operated by the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA), the facility has a ...
; in many of the Mavericks' 13 seasons at that arena, the Mavericks played one series in February at the Civic Auditorium when the Qwest Center hosted the Nebraska State High School Wrestling tournament. Beginning in the 2003–04 season, the Mavericks played at the newly constructed 14,700-seat Qwest Center Omaha, now known as CenturyLink Center Omaha. The sleek, new modern arena immediately received rave reviews; one reporter dubbed the arena "the Omaha Civic Auditorium on steroids." Still, many fans were turned off by the new arena, complaining that the giant structure was not as intimate as the Civic Auditorium. Although UNO's hockey administration initially expected attendance to average about 11,000 fans, an average of only 8,184 fans filled the arena in the poor 2003–04 season. This number was still the fourth highest figure in the NCAA, but was actually down slightly from the average at the much smaller Civic Auditorium. Still, the modern arena became an important recruiting tool for the Mavericks coaching staff. Some of the team's best recruiting classes came in the years immediately following the move to the new arena, eventually helping the team to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2006. In the years following the first season at the CenturyLink Center, attendance averaged between 5,500 and 6,900 per game, finishing in the top eleven in the NCAA each year, but never meeting initial attendance expectations. The school had a lease at the CenturyLink Center through the 2012–13 season. By that time, athletic director Trev Alberts had been drumming up support for a new arena because of the unfavorable lease at the CenturyLink Center; the school lost $150,000 as part of the deal in 2008–09 after turning a $1 million profit in its last year at the Civic Auditorium in 2002–03. Rumors circulated that UNO planned to build an on-campus arena that seats between 7,000 and 8,000 fans. At the WCHA preseason media day in October 2010, coach Dean Blais told media members that the school hoped to break ground on an on-campus arena at some point in 2011. The arena plans did not materialize until 2013, when the University of Nebraska system approved the construction of a venue that was known during its planning and initial construction stages as UNO Community Arena. The new facility, which holds slightly under 7,900 and also includes a dedicated practice facility, opened in October 2015 as Baxter Arena.


Coaches

The Mavericks were coached by Mike Kemp between the program's inception in 1997 and 2009. Prior to the 1997 season, Kemp served as an assistant coach for 14 years at Wisconsin. In his only previous head coaching stint, Kemp was the coach of the UNO club hockey team during its brief existence in 1975 and 1976. Kemp is credited with helping build the nascent program over his tenure, and eventually led the team to its only NCAA Tournament appearance to date in 2006. After the 2004–05 season, he was named CCHA Coach of the Year. He was named Associate Athletic Director for UNO following the 2009 season. Dean Blais was hired in June 2009 to replace Mike Kemp on the UNO bench. Blais is best known as the former head coach at
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
from 1994 through 2004, where he won two national titles (
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
and
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
). Blais also served as assistant coach of the
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern C ...
from 2004 to 2007, and later as head coach and GM of the
Fargo Force The Fargo Force is a Junior ice hockey#Tier I, Tier I junior ice hockey team in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Force have won two league championships in 2017–18 USHL season, 2018 and 2023–24 USHL seas ...
(
USHL The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
) from 2007 to 2009. During his first season at UNO, Blais also served as head coach of the gold medal winning
USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
team at the
2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships (''2010 WJHC''), was the 34th edition of IIHF World Junior Championship, Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. The tournament was hosted by Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canad ...
. During his second season at UNO, Blais was named WCHA Coach of the Year. Blais retired at the end of the 2016-17 season. The Mavericks are currently coached by former Omaha player Mike Gabinet, who was named head coach April 5, 2017.


All-time coaching records

As of the completion of 2024–25 season


Statistical leaders

Source:


Career points leaders


Career goaltending leaders

''GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% =
Save percentage Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVS%, SVP, PCT) is a statistic in various Goal (sports), goal-scoring sports that track Save (goaltender), saves as a statistic. In ice hockey and lacrosse and association football, it is a sta ...
; GAA =
Goals against average Goals against average (GAA), also known as average goals against (AGA), is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on spo ...
'' Minimum 900 minutes Statistics current through the start of the 2021-22 season.


Players


Current roster

As of September 5, 2024.


Awards and honors


NCAA


All-Americans

AHCA First Team All-Americans *2005-06: Scott Parse, F *2013-14: Josh Archibald, F AHCA Second Team All-Americans *2000-01: Greg Zanon, D *2001-02: Greg Zanon, D; Jeff Hoggan, F *2006-07: Scott Parse, F *2012-13: Ryan Walters, F *2016-17: Luc Snuggerud, D; Austin Ortega, F


CCHA


Individual awards

Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is held on b ...
* Scott Parse: 2006 Rookie of the Year * Bill Thomas: 2005 Best Offensive Defenseman * Greg Zanon: 2001
Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...
* Mike Kemp: 2005 Scholar-Athlete of the Year * Michael Eickman: 2006, 2007 Ilitch Humanitarian Award * Jason Cupp: 2001 * Jerad Kaufmann: 2009


All-Conference Teams

First Team All-CCHA *2000–01: Greg Zanon, D; David Brisson, F *2001–02: Jeff Hoggan, F *2004–05: Scott Parse, F *2005–06: Scott Parse, F; Bill Thomas, F *2006–07: Scott Parse, F *2009–10: Eddie DelGrosso, D Second Team All-CCHA *2001–02:
Dan Ellis Daniel, Danny or Dan Ellis may refer to: Sports *Dan Ellis (ice hockey) (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey player *Danny Ellis (footballer, born 1985), English footballer for Guiseley, Harrogate, Farsley, and Darlington *Daniel Ellis (footballer, bor ...
, G; Greg Zanon, D *2004–05: Bill Thomas, F *2007–08: Bryan Marshall, F *2008–09: Eddie DelGrosso, D CCHA All-Rookie Team *1999–00: Greg Zanon, D; David Brisson, F *2000–01:
Dan Ellis Daniel, Danny or Dan Ellis may refer to: Sports *Dan Ellis (ice hockey) (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey player *Danny Ellis (footballer, born 1985), English footballer for Guiseley, Harrogate, Farsley, and Darlington *Daniel Ellis (footballer, bor ...
, G *2004–05: Joe Grimaldi, D; Bill Thomas, F *2006–07: Eddie DelGrosso, D *2009–10:
Terry Broadhurst Terry Broadhurst (born November 30, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey Forward (ice hockey), forward. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played with Augsburger Panther in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Pl ...
, F


WCHA


Individual awards

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...
* Dean Blais: 2011


All-Conference Teams

First Team All-WCHA *1912–13: Ryan Walters, F Third Team All-WCHA *2010–11:
John Faulkner John Philip Faulkner (born 12 April 1954) is an Australian former Labor Party politician who was a Senator for New South Wales from 1989 to 2015. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Keating, Rudd and Gillard governments. After his election to ...
, G *2012–13: Andrej Šustr, D WCHA All-Rookie Team *2011–12:
Jayson Megna Jayson Megna (born February 1, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward who is currently the captain of the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League (AHL). Megna was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but gr ...
, F


NCHC


Individual awards

Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is held on b ...
* Josh Archibald: 2014 Rookie of the Year * Taylor Ward: 2019 Forward of the Year * Josh Archibald: 2014 Scholar-Athlete of the Year * Justin Parizek: 2017 * Tyler Vesel: 2018 Goaltender of the Year * Simon Latkoczy: 2025


All-Conference Teams

First Team All-NCHC *2013–14: Josh Archibald, F *2016–17: Austin Ortega, F *2017–18: David Pope, F *2024–25: Simon Latkoczy, G Second Team All-NCHC *2014–15: Ryan Massa, G *2015–16: Jake Guentzel, F *2016–17: Luc Snuggerud, D *2018–19: Mason Morelli, F *2020–21: Chayse Primeau, F *2024–25: Sam Strange, F NCHC All-Rookie Team *2013–14: Jake Guentzel, F *2014–15: Luc Snuggerud, D *2015–16: Evan Weninger, G *2018–19: Taylor Ward, F *2019–20: Brandon Scanlin, D; Joey Abate, F *2022–23: Joaquim Lemay, D; Jacob Guevin, D *2023–24: Tanner Ludtke, F


NCAA Record Holders

* Austin Ortega – Most game winning goals in a season (11, 2014–15)


Omaha Mavericks Hall of Fame

The following is a list of people associated with the Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Nebraska Omaha Athletic Hall of Fame (induction date in parentheses). * Fred Abboud (2016) * David Brisson (2010) *Bryan Marshall (2018) * Scott Parse (2016)


Olympians

This is a list of Omaha alumni were a part of an Olympic team.


Mavericks in the NHL

As of November 5, 2024 File:Josh Archibald 1 2017-05-10.jpg, Josh Archibald File:Dan Ellis Ducks.jpg,
Dan Ellis Daniel, Danny or Dan Ellis may refer to: Sports *Dan Ellis (ice hockey) (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey player *Danny Ellis (footballer, born 1985), English footballer for Guiseley, Harrogate, Farsley, and Darlington *Daniel Ellis (footballer, bor ...
File:Jake Guentzel 2017-04-27.jpg, Jake Guentzel File:Jaycob Megna Chicago Blackhawks.jpg, Jaycob Megna File:Jayson Megna 2013-11-01.JPG,
Jayson Megna Jayson Megna (born February 1, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward who is currently the captain of the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League (AHL). Megna was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but gr ...
File:Nick Seeler closeup.png, Nick Seeler File:Anthony Stolarz with the Florida Panthers in 2024.jpg, Anthony Stolarz File:Andrej Sustr - Tampa Bay Lightning.jpg, Andrej Šustr File:Greg Zanon.jpg, Greg Zanon
Source:


School records

The following are the UNO school records. Statistics are accurate as of the conclusion of the 2017–18 season. Italics indicates player is still active.


Individual records


Career

* Most goals in a career: Scott Parse, 79 (2003–07) * Most assists in a career: Scott Parse, 118 * Most points in a career: Scott Parse, 197 * Most power-play goals in a career: Brandon Scero, 26 (2004–08) * Most penalty minutes in a career: Jeff Hoggan, 294 (1998–02) * Most points in a career, defenseman: Eddie DelGrosso, 109 (2006–10) * Most goals in a career, defenseman: Greg Zanon, 30 (1999–03) * Most assists in a career, defenseman: Eddie Del Grosso, 85 * Most wins in a career:
John Faulkner John Philip Faulkner (born 12 April 1954) is an Australian former Labor Party politician who was a Senator for New South Wales from 1989 to 2015. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Keating, Rudd and Gillard governments. After his election to ...
, 54 (2009–13) * Most shutouts in a career:
Dan Ellis Daniel, Danny or Dan Ellis may refer to: Sports *Dan Ellis (ice hockey) (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey player *Danny Ellis (footballer, born 1985), English footballer for Guiseley, Harrogate, Farsley, and Darlington *Daniel Ellis (footballer, bor ...
, 7 * Highest save percentage in a career: Ryan Massa, .917 * Best goals against average in a career: Ryan Massa, 2.47 (2011–14)''


Season

* Most goals in a season: Josh Archibald, 29 (2013–14) * Most assists in a season: Scott Parse, 41 (2005–06) * Most points in a season: Scott Parse, 61 (2005–06) * Most power-play goals in a season: Mick Lawrence, 15 (2007–08) * Most penalty minutes in a season: Cody Blanshan, 103 (2002–03) * Most wins in a season: Dan Ellis, 21 (2000–01) * Highest save percentage in a season: Ryan Massa, .939 (2014–15) * Best goals against average in a season: Ryan Massa, 1.96 (2014–15)


Game

* Most goals in a game: Brandon Scero, 4 (10/20/06 vs. Niagara) * Most assists in a game: 15 players tied with 4 * Most points in a game: 10 players tied with 5 * Most saves in a game: Dan Ellis, 53 (3/14/01 vs.
Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
* Most shots on goal in a game: Jeff Hogan, 14 (12/01/01 vs. Bowling Green) * Most penalty minutes in a game: Matt Ambroz, 26 (12/18/10 vs. Colorado College) * First goal scored in 1997 red and white game: Mike Hanson


Team records


Season

* Most wins in a season: 24 (2000–01) * Fewest wins in a season: 8 (2003–04) * Most goals in a season: 153 (2006–07) * Fewest goals allowed in a season: 90 (2014–15)


Game

* Longest winning streak: 8 (1/11/02 to 2/2/02) * Longest unbeaten streak: 10 (1/21/06 to 2/24/06) * Most goals in a game: 11 (1/12/18 vs.
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
) * Most goals in a period: 6 (2/14/98, third period vs. Minnesota State) * Most goals against in a game: 11 (2/27/98 vs.
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
)


Notes


References


External links


Omaha Mavericks Men's Ice Hockey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omaha Mavericks Men's Ice Hockey College ice hockey teams in Nebraska NCAA Division I men's ice hockey teams 1997 establishments in Nebraska Ice hockey clubs established in 1997