Dates: Friday/Saturday, December 2/3 7:30/8 PM CT
Location: Madison, Wis.; Kohl Center (15,359)
Ice Surface: 200’ X 97’
TV: Friday: American Sports Network; Saturday: The Wisconsin Channel
Radio: Friday- WIBA-AM 1310. Saturday- WIBA-AM 1070
Audio Stream: Badgersportsnetwork.com (Free)
All-Time Series: Wisconsin leads 8-3-0
Last Meeting: Wisconsin win 6-2 (March 2, 2013)
About Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks
Record: 7-5-2
Head Coach: Dean Blais (136-121-27 at UN-O (8th season); 398-236-60 career record)
Notable: Nebraska-Omaha will come in to the Kohl Center plenty confident in its ability to get results this weekend. Omaha has yet to drop a game on the road this season, holding a 5-0-1 record in six true road games this season.
Stats Leaders:
Points: Austin Ortega (17 points)
Goals: Austin Ortega (9)
Assists: David Pope/Jake Randolph (11)
Save Pct.: Evan Weninger (.903)
Goals Against Average: Evan Weninger (2.67)
About Wisconsin Badgers
Record: 7-5-0
Head Coach: Tony Granato (7-5-0; 1st season overall)
Notable: A 7-5-0 record has some taking notice of the Badgers hockey program once again. However, more should be based on history of the program. That’s because UW’s seven wins in the first 12 games are the second most for UW over the first 12 games of the season dating back to UW’s last regular-season conference title, when it won the 1999–2000 WCHA. The seven wins are tied with the 2009-10 squad, as well as the 2000– 01 team. Only the 2005–06 team’s nine victories are better.
Stats Leaders
Points: Grant Besse (15)
Goals: Luke Kunin (7)
Assists: Besse (10)
Save Pct.: Jack Berry (.920)
Goals Against Average: Jack Berry – 1.80
Prediction
This series should be very telling for a Wisconsin program that has won just one weekend series all season long. Even at that, the Badgers wins came against St. Lawrence and Clarkson. Couple that fact with the news of Omaha’s great road record and it is hard to see UW taking both games in this series.
Having said that, I do see UW coming out hard in the opener and getting on the Mavericks early. That’s good news, as Omaha is just 0-2-1 when trailing after the first period this year.
Something is different about this team with Jack Berry in net, and if UW plays from the back forward it will be a successful series. By successful, I mean the Badgers don’t drop a game, perhaps tying one and winning another.
Friday: Wisconsin 4-1
Saturday: Tie 3-3
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