North Dakota Fighting Hawks    (11-9-1 • 5-5-0 NCHC)
USCHO: #20  • USA Today: RV
At Omaha Mavericks  (6-12-2 • 2-7-1 NCHC)
Friday, Jan. 18 • 7:07 pm (CT) • Baxter Arena • Omaha, Neb.
Saturday, Jan. 19 • 7:07 pm (CT) • Baxter Arena • Omaha, Neb.
TV: Midco SportsNet
Radio: Home of Economy Radio Network
Webcast: NCHC.tv
Live stats: www.OMavs.com
In-game updates: twitter @UNDmhockey
 
THIS WEEKEND:
North Dakota looks to continue its ascent up the NCHC standings this week, heading to Omaha for a two-game series against the Mavericks. UND enters the weekend just one point back of fourth-place Minnesota-Duluth, the final spot for a hosting scenario in the NCHC playoffs.
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION
This series will be telecast live on Midco Sports Network. These games will also be available via streaming at NCHC.tv.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Receive live updates during all UND hockey games by following @UNDmhockey and @UNDInsider on Twitter. Fans can also follow the action via live chat at FightingHawks.com, featuring Brad Schlossman and Tom Miller of the Grand Forks Herald and Mitch Wigness of UND Athletics.
 
OMAHA COACHING STAFF
Mike Gabinet is in his second season as head coach of the Mavericks, posting a 23-29-4 record all-time at his alma mater. The 2004 graduate of Omaha served as an associate head coach during the 2016-17 season before being elevated to the head coach position last season. Gabinet returned to Omaha after four seasons at NAIT in Edmonton, Alberta, the last as its head coach. That season, he led the Ooks to a 36-0-0 record and the ACAC Championship. He was named the conference Coach of the Year and became the first rookie head coach in Canadian college hockey to guide his team to an undefeated record.
 
Gabinet, a standout defenseman for the Mavericks from 2000-04, is assisted by Dave Noel-Bernier (Omaha, 2001) and Paul Jerrard (Lake Superior State, 1987).
 
SERIES HISTORY
North Dakota owns a 19-10-1 all-time record against the Mavericks, including a 4-2-0 record last season vs. Omaha. These teams met in the quarterfinals of the NCHC playoffs with UND taking 4-0 and 4-3 (ot) games to advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. UND is 10-4-0 all-time in Omaha with  5-1-0 record at Baxter Arena.
 
ABOUT OMAHA
The Mavs are 6-6-1 since an 0-6-1 start to the season. Last weekend, Denver won a pair of one-goal games, shutting out the Mavericks Friday, 1-0, before a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday. In Saturday's loss, Omaha snapped a scoreless streak that had reached 305 minutes.
 
They are led in scoring by Mason Morelli, who has 13 goals and 22 points on the season. In net, Evan Weninger has a 3.42 GAA with a .900 save percentage.
 
LAST MEETINGS BETWEEN THESE TEAMS:
UND waltzed to a 4-0 win Friday, then got tying and game-winning goals from Nick Jones Saturday to advance in the NCHC Quarterfinals last season. The teams split the regular-season series (2-2-0) with Cam Johnson and Peter Thome each posting shutouts in the two North Dakota wins. 
 
POLL POSITION
After a one-week hiatus, UND is back in the USCHO.com poll at No. 20)]. North Dakota is  receiving votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll that was also released on Monday.
 
LAST SERIES
North Dakota swept Colorado College with a pair of overtime thrillers. UND's Ludvig Hoff was the hero Friday, scoring at the 4:15 mark of the extra session for a 4-3 win while Jordan Kawaguchi's winner Saturday at :50 of OT sealed a 3-2 win.
 
NOT SINCE 1969? NICE.
The last time UND won a series with both wins coming in overtime? You'd have to go back to the 1969-70 season when North Dakota got Denver twice on Dec. 19-20 by 3-2 and 2-1 scores. Those games ended a stretch in which UND played four straight overtime games and five of six that went an extra session (UND went 4-1-0 in those OT tilts).
 
POOLMAN OR IRON MAN?
Junior captain Colton Poolman (East Grand Forks, Minn.) has never missed a collegiate game in his career, having played in all 101 of UND's games since he arrived on campus.
 
Poolman is the fourth active Fighting Hawk to reach the 100-games milestone for his career. He joins seniors Rhett Gardner (133 games), Joel Janatuinen (122) and Hayden Shaw (121).
 
That First One is Peski
Andrew Peski finally got his first point of the season in Friday's win over Colorado College. The junior blue-liner's goal in the second period helped stake North Dakota to a 2-0 lead at that point. He added an assist Saturday as three different UND players notched their first goals of the season this past weekend. Hayden Shaw and Dixon Bowen each scored in the first period Saturday, their first tallies of the year.
 
EVERYBODY HELPS
North Dakota has had 13 different goal scorers since Rhett Gardner's GWG against Alaska-Anchorage. UND has 17 goals in that stretch with only three players tallying more than one goal (Jordan Kawaguchi-3, Mark Senden and Nick Jones-2).
 
Goal scorers in this stretch
Nov. 24- Rhett Gardner
Dec. 1- Jordan Kawaguchi, Grant Mismash
Dec. 7- Gavin Hain, Mark Senden, Matt Kiersted, Colton Poolman
Dec. 8- Jacob Bernard-Docker
Jan. 4- Mark Senden (2)
Jan. 5- Nick Jones
Jan. 11- Jones (2), Andrew Peski, Kawaguchi (2), Ludvig Hoff
Jan. 12- Hayden Shaw, Dixon Bowen, Kawaguchi (3)
 
FAMILIAR NAMES
Omaha has a few North Dakota connections on its roster. The Mavs' leading scorer-- senior Mason Morelli-- is a third-generation college hockey player. His dad, Matt (1987-91), and grandfather, Reg (1957-60), both played for UND. Freshman Taylor Ward's father, Dixon, also played at UND from 1988-92 and was teammates with Matt Morelli.
 
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