UNO Maverick Hockey 2008-2009

[Brad]

UNO Maverick Hockey 2008-2009

http://gomavs.unomaha.edu/schedule.php? ... ame=hockey

2008-2009 UNO Maverick Hockey Schedule:

[Brad]

Hockey: Mavs to play Irish at Civic, Spartans at Qwest

A late-February showdown at the Civic Auditorium against national runner-up Notre Dame will be one of the home highlights on UNO's 2008-09 hockey schedule.

In all, the University of Nebraska at Omaha will play home series against three of the CCHA's four teams that qualified for last season's NCAA tournament. The Mavs will host Michigan State on Nov. 21 and 22 and Miami on Jan. 23 and 24 at Qwest Center Omaha.

The Fighting Irish, who made a surprise run to the 2008 NCAA championship game, will come to Omaha on Feb. 20 and 21.

"It's a good schedule," UNO coach Mike Kemp said, "and it's a great opportunity for us to be able to play Michigan State, Miami and Notre Dame at home. I'm sure that series against Notre Dame at the Civic will be a tough ticket."

[Brad]

Hockey: Mavericks sign five recruits

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10344318

Five players have signed national letters of intent to attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha and play hockey.

Three of the new recruits will enroll at UNO and compete in 2008-09, while two others are committed for the 2009-10 season and will continue to play junior hockey next winter.

08/09
John Faulkner - Goalie - Western Ontario Hockey League
Brent Gwidt - Left Wing - USHL Indiana
Ryan Kretzer - Center - USHL Lincoln
09/10
Nick Oddo (Millard North Alumni) - USHL Ceder Rapids
David Morley - Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League

[Brad]

Hockey: Hudson is a significant icebreaker

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10362334

Already it feels like an ice age ago for Alex Hudson since he last dabbled in other sports.

But back when he still lived in sun-soaked southern California, where frozen H2O is supposed to cool down drinks instead of fire up athletic dreams, Hudson started at cornerback for his high school football team.

It didn't take long before Hudson - who always loved any activity involving hard contact and heavy collisions - had earned a nice reputation as a nasty hitter.

Hudson's most memorable blind-side blitz, however, probably was the sneak attack that knocked his football coach for a loop. It came on a play Hudson more or less had been drawing up since he was a kid, and it involved him leaving California - and moving to Nebraska, as it turned out - to further his career as a hockey player.

"When I told everybody what I was going to do, my coach really couldn't believe it," said Hudson, who left high school to play junior hockey before the start of his senior year. "He was kind of upset, actually. But after that, all the coaches and the guys on the football team started calling me Wayne Gretzky. All the time, it was 'Wayne Gretzky.'"

KENT SIEVES/THE WORLD-HERALD PHOTO:

But if all people see when Hudson hits the ice this fall is a great hockey player, that will be just fine with the 6-foot, 195-pound forward. And without a doubt, UNO coach Mike Kemp believes the Mavs have found a potential difference-maker in Hudson, who comes to Omaha after a standout career with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League.

Its going weird to cheer for someone that you hated just one season ago....

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Coming home appeals to recruit

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10369082

It took UNO more than a decade to land its first Nebraska-born hockey recruit.

It took the Mavs only six months to add another.

Nate Heng, a 17-year-old forward from Omaha, accepted a scholarship offer from UNO coach Mike Kemp this week. Heng said he's unsure exactly when he will begin his college career, but it's likely he will join the University of Nebraska at Omaha in either 2010 or 2011.

"The Mavericks play in my hometown, they're one of the top Division I programs and they play in the best conference in college hockey — so you could say my decision was a no-brainer," said Heng, a forward who has spent the past two seasons playing midget hockey in Kansas City.

[Brad]

70 Days! 10 Weeks from Today!

Not to wish away summer, but the Mavs hit the ice 10 Weeks from TODAY!

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: CCHA will use shootout in 2008-09 season

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10406317

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced today that an NHL style three-player shootout will be used in the 2008-09 season to determine a winner for all of the 168 regular-season conference games that are tied after 60 minutes of regulation play and five minutes of overtime.

"The shootout has proved to be an exciting addition to hockey at a variety of levels and we are anxious to bring it into college hockey," said CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos. "The drama it creates is very popular with fans, and importantly, today's players love it."

The CCHA is the first of college hockey's six Division I men’s leagues to adopt the shootout.

"At the same time, the NCAA rules and ice hockey committees have allowed us to implement this tie-breaker protocol so that every regular-season league game will have a winner while preserving the integrity of the national rankings because CCHA games decided by a shootout will still be considered ties for NCAA purposes," Anastos said. "Bonus points awarded will impact the conference standings only."

The CCHA also approved the following point system for regular-season play: two points for a win in regulation or overtime, one point for each school if the game is tied at the conclusion of the five-minute overtime period and one point is awarded to the team who wins the shootout.

A total of 90 regular-season games ended in ties over the past three CCHA seasons; 31 in 2007-08, 26 in 2006-07 and 33 in 2005-06.

[Brad]

Where would UNO be if that rule had been in place the last two or three years? Can you imagine 2005-06 with this rule? 6 ties that season. Imagine a shootout with Parse, Thomas, Nikiforuk?

Likely would have made the Joe that season.

Blog: http://huskermike.blogspot.com

[Coyote]

CCHA: Mavs are eighth in preseason polls

Eighth-place is exactly where the 17-19-4 Mavs finished in the league last season, when a late slump dropped them to 11-13-4 against the CCHA.

Preseason CCHA Polls
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
• Coaches Poll:
1. Notre Dame (8) 128;
2. Michigan (3) 122;
3. Miami (1) 108;
4. Northern Michigan 102;
5. Michigan State 96;
6. Ferris State 84;
7. Ohio State 67;
8. Nebraska-Omaha 59;
9. Bowling Green 56;
10. Lake Superior State 46;
Tie-11. Alaska 28;
Tie-11. Western Michigan 28.

• Media Poll:
1. Michigan (43) 945;
2. Notre Dame (35) 915;
3. Michigan State (2) 776;
4. Miami (2) 746;
5. Northern Michigan (1) 700;
6. Ferris State 529;
7. Bowling Green 444;
8. Nebraska-Omaha 415;
9. Ohio State 339;
10. Lake Superior State 322;
11. Alaska 198;
12. Western Michigan 145.

[Brad]

Wow...I really hope the polls are wrong!

2 weeks from today!

[Brad]

Screw the polls.... WHO'S READY FOR MAVERICK HOCKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[youtube][/youtube]

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: No relation, but Mavs high on John Kemp

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10456487

Both men stand just an inch or so under 6 feet tall — when they're wearing skates, that is.

When it comes to hair styles, both of them opt for the less-is-more look, too.

But before the puck drops on the college hockey season, let's clear up one potential misconception right away:

John Kemp, the University of Nebraska at Omaha's first-year forward, shares no family ties with Mavericks head coach Mike Kemp.

"Yeah, everybody on our team obviously knows by now that they aren't related," UNO junior forward Dan Swanson said. "You still might hear people joke about it a little bit — like he's the coach's kid, or he must be close to somebody who helped him get here. But he's just a super-talented player, and he's definitely going to be fun to watch."

Make no mistake about that fact, John Kemp earned his way to the Division I level on his own merit. Ranked No. 15 on Inside College Hockey's list of top incoming freshman forwards, Kemp arrives at UNO after a dazzling three-year stint with the USHL's Indiana Ice.

[Brad]

ITS GAME DAY!!!!

UNO Hockey: Klempa looks to bounce back from a down year

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10458137

Here's pretty much everything you need to know about Tomas Klempa's junior season with the UNO hockey team:

The average number of shots per game Klempa took in 2007-08 represented a career high. Yet the relentless forward out of Slovakia netted a career-low goal total.

Klempa found the net just seven times last season, even though he ranked fourth on the team with 104 shots. He became the first University of Nebraska at Omaha forward since 2001-02 to take more than 100 shots in a season and finish with fewer than 10 goals.

"He definitely was snakebit last year," said UNO coach Mike Kemp. "I remember specifically that game we lost at Northern Michigan in overtime — he misses three point-blank opportunities that night, and we're talking about shots he definitely would've buried in previous seasons.

Mavs vs. Manitoba
-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When: 7:05 p.m. tonight

Where: Qwest Center Omaha

Radio: 1290 AM KKAR 8UNO hockey:

[Brad]

MAVS WIN!!! MAVS WIN!!!!

UNO 5
Manitoba 0

[Brad]

Hockey: Mavs carve up Manitoba in exhibition

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10459180

Dupont, along with fellow goalies Jerad Kaufmann and John Faulkner, blanked Manitoba on Monday night as the University of Nebraska at Omaha rolled to a 5-0 victory in its annual exhibition against the Bison.

Dan Charleston and Joey Martin each had a goal and an assist for the Mavs, while freshman forward Jake Skjodt added a pair of assists. JJ Koehler, Nick Von Bokern and Matt Smith also scored goals for UNO in the tuneup.

"There were definitely some things I liked about the game, but I was frustrated that we didn't play with the consistency we need from shift to shift," said UNO coach Mike Kemp. "They had 10 power plays in the game, and that really prevented us from getting any continuity. We really had no flow once we started taking all those penalties in the second period."

But the five penalties the Mavs were whistled for in the second did put Dupont under the gun during his 20 minutes of work. Dupont turned away 11 of Manitoba's 21 shots, and the junior made a number of impressive saves to keep the Bison off the scoreboard.

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Mavs hope to avoid penalty box

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10461237

A mere two seconds had ticked off the clock to start the third period Monday night, and a confused Dan Charleston already was skating his way into the penalty box.

UNO's senior forward was whistled for interference just a blink after the faceoff during the Mavs' 5-0 win over Manitoba. But following the Mavericks' annual preseason tuneup, Charleston still seemed a bit fuzzy over what exactly he had done wrong.

Off the opening draw, the puck flew through Charleston's side of the circle toward the sideboards. The Mavs' veteran winger used what he thought was a subtle and legal body block on his man, and that allowed a University of Nebraska at Omaha defender to skate to center ice and gain possession of the puck.

But that's not how the refs interpreted Charleston's move.

"It was kind of weird," Charleston said. "I was just trying to create a little room for my teammate. But I guess a play like that's going to be a no-no this year."

[Brad]

THE BAR IS SET!

Is this a crossroads season ahead for Kemp?

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1921

In an interview on Wednesday, UNO Chancellor John Christensen set the standard of expectation: finish in the top four of the CCHA every year. No expectation for league titles or NCAA tourney bids.

"If you finish in the top four every year, those things are going to come," Christensen said.

Make no mistake, the UNO boss wants them to happen now.

"I want our hockey team in the top four in the conference as a standard," Christensen said. "We have spent 12 years building this program. Now it's time to be competitive at that level. I would like to win conference championships. I want to go to the Frozen Four. I think those ought to be our standards.

"Mike has shown he can build a good program. But there are builders and there are finishers. It's time to deliver."

Given his history, Kemp might have a hard time clearing that bar. In nine seasons in the CCHA, Kemp has finished fourth three times (2001, 2005, tied for fourth 2006), fifth twice, seventh twice, 10th and 12th (in 2004).

Is this an ultimatum that Kemp must finish in the top four this season?

"If we don't start meeting that standard, we will sit down and have some serious discussions after this season," Christensen said. "There will be changes. I'm not prepared to say at this moment what that will be. A lot of things go into a season and how it plays out.

"Our team lost a lot of talent. But every team loses talent. It's time for our program to play at a high level."

Christensen said the program has been supported well. One could note that the team does not have a permanent place to practice (and, in fact, must bus to practice at various venues around town). It plays in an arena that kills college hockey atmosphere. And UNO doesn't fund an all-out marketing blitz like Creighton with basketball.

But the chancellor, who says he is pushing for a practice facility, will have none of those excuses. He says UNO hockey has lost money in recent years, and facilities and marketing aren't the reasons.

"I believe winning has a great deal to do with that," Christensen said. "I've heard all about the differences in the Qwest Center and Civic Auditorium, and there's some truth to that. But if you are putting a team on the ice that's competitive with the top teams in college hockey, people are going to respond. I don't care if it's in Benson Gardens."

As he enters his 12th season, Kemp (179-206-49) bristles when asked if he's the coach to take UNO to that next level.

"I get asked that every year," Kemp said. "Absolutely. I'll leave it at that."

Kemp said that, since UNO joined the CCHA, the Mavs have the fifth-best league record, behind Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Michigan and Miami. He says UNO has been in the hunt for the top four but fallen short for various reasons. Last year, an injury to star Bryan Marshall hurt down the stretch.

"Our dreams are still the same," Kemp said. "We want to be in that top tier. But the reality is we're fighting and scratching and clawing like everyone else, but not to where any of us would want it to be."

[Brad]

Hockey: An ice-breaker for new Mavs? Start fast

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10462129

So these new-look Mavs are hungry to carve out their own identity? Here's one good way to do it: Storm through the first half of the schedule with a vengeance.

During the past four years — when coach Mike Kemp's club has gone 74-63-22 overall and been right on the cusp of reaching elite status in the CCHA — no UNO team has had a winning record after its first seven league series.

The 2004-05 Mavs went 6-7-1 during the first half of CCHA play. UNO's 2005-06 squad made the NCAA tournament, but had to overcome a 5-8-1 league start to do so. During Parse's last year at UNO in 2006-07, the Mavs opened with a 5-7-2 record against the league, and then last year, UNO started off 4-7-3.

"I think that's one of our biggest points of emphasis this year," Swanson said. "At the end of the year, you always look back and say, 'If only we had a few more (CCHA) points, look where we'd be.' Every point is big, and you can't put yourself in a hole."

The Mavs kick off the regular season tonight by taking on American International at their annual Mutual of Omaha Stampede. It will be the first of four nonconference games UNO plays before it opens CCHA play on Oct. 31 at Bowling Green.

The Mavericks will play only one first-half series against a CCHA team that made the 2008 NCAA tournament (Michigan State, which visits Omaha in November). It isn't until the second half that UNO hosts Miami, travels to Michigan and plays Notre Dame in Omaha.

"Our nonconference games will be against some very capable teams, and we have to use these games to build a good foundation heading into the CCHA schedule," Kemp said. "It's going to be very important for us to get off to a good start in league play, because the second half will be tremendously challenging."

[Brad]

Hockey: Mavericks' power play still has lots of juice

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10463182

The UNO hockey team, which had the top-ranked power play in the NCAA last season, netted all four of its goals on the man advantage Friday night to open the regular season with a 4-1 victory over American International.

Dan Charleston and Rich Purslow each finished with a goal and two assists as the Mavericks advanced to the championship game of their annual Mutual of Omaha Stampede.

For the night, the University of Nebraska at Omaha went 4 for 8 on the power play, with Alain Goulet and Joey Martin burying the Mavs' other two goals.

Attendance: 5,293.

[Brad]

Hockey: Charleston dances in OT

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10464225

At one point during the second period Saturday night, UNO's Dan Charleston feared he'd broken his ankle. Right as Charleston was exiting the ice at the end of his shift, the forward got blasted with the puck just above his foot after a Mavs defenseman fired a dump attempt from mid-ice.

By the time Charleston was doing his celebratory belly flop, however, he clearly was feeling no pain.

Charleston netted the game-winning goal at the 4:54 mark of overtime Saturday night to lift the University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey team to a dramatic 2-1 win over Union. The senior's second goal in as many games completed UNO's furious comeback against the Dutchmen and allowed the Mavericks to repeat as champions at their season-opening Mutual of Omaha Stampede at Qwest Center Omaha.

A late goal by Mavs defenseman Alain Goulet, who tied the game with less than 10 minutes to go in regulation, set the stage for Charleston's heroics.

"That was a great win, and it was a great feeling obviously to score in that situation," said Charleston, who now has six career game-winners. "We showed a lot of character in battling back, and hopefully this can be a win that really inspires us."

• Attendance: 5,494

[Brad]

Photos to come tonight, here is a quick video.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Brad]

Finally.... Better late than never, here are some photos from Friday's UNO vs AIU game.

I used a different focus setting and I really don't like the job it did.

1. Jeremie Dupont in goal


2. Shot by Dan Charleston


3. Shot by Matt Ambroz


4. Goal by Joey Martin (the puck is just above the goalie's sholder)


5. Goal celebration


6. Shot by JJ Koehler


7. Shot by Joey Martin


8. Another Celebration

[Brad]

UNO Hockey really has been advertising all over the radio and TV this year!!! I like it!


Someone over on mavpuck wanted me to post the intro video:
[youtube][/youtube]

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Mavs' third-period play is a good sign

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10467938

Here are the most notable items on the list of things the coach liked:

• After being outscored 53-42 during the third period last year, the Mavs dominated the final period in both games. They finished with a combined 35-5 advantage in shots on goal in the third period last weekend.

"Obviously you want to keep playing at a high pace for 60 minutes, and that hasn't always been the case for us," Kemp said. "I think the way we played this weekend was a reflection of all that hard work and conditioning during the offseason, and hopefully we'll keep seeing that pay dividends throughout the season."

• It's only through two games, of course. But the Mavs are tied for first place in the CCHA in scoring defense. That's an early but welcomed sight for a team that ranked 56th out of the NCAA's 59 teams last season with a goals-against average of 3.55 per game.

UNO goalies Jeremie Dupont and Jerad Kaufmann each let in early scores, then rebounded to play well and make some impressive saves. As a team, the Mavs limited opponents to one goal or fewer only five times all last season.

"Where we were woefully inadequate last year, at least during that opening weekend our defense and goaltending appeared to be our strength," Kemp said. "It wasn't just that we only gave up one goal each night; we did a good job of allowing very few quality chances."

• Few things went UNO's way through the first 50 minutes against Union. The Mavs trailed almost the entire game, and they were having a tough time solving a veteran Dutchmen club that specializes in suffocating defense. But UNO rallied behind goals by Alain Goulet and Dan Charleston. Simply put, the game against Union looked like one the Mavs probably would've lost during the first half last season.

"Union really was frustrating the heck out of us, and those can really be dangerous types of games," Kemp said. "Guys can lose confidence, and they easily can lose focus on nights like that. But I was real pleased with the way we stayed in it and took control late."

[Brad]

Hockey: Californians good as gold in Mav victory

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10469143

Alex Hudson established himself as a big fan favorite over the long haul during his four seasons in Kearney with the USHL's Tri-City Storm.

Only two starts into his career at UNO, Hudson already is causing a nice little stir among the hockey diehards in the southeastern corner of Nebraska.

Hudson on Friday night netted his first two goals in a Mavs sweater — both off assists from fellow rookie forward John Kemp — as the University of Nebraska at Omaha worked out a 3-1 victory over Mercyhurst. Sophomore Matt Ambroz, also a former Tri-City standout, put away his first goal of the season to help UNO improve to 3-0-0.

Even on those shifts when Hudson didn't put the puck in the net, the winger from Corona, Calif., consistently caused the Lakers fits with his strength and speed. He almost buried another goal during the second period when he raced up on a defenseman along the deep sideboards, angled his way around his man and muscled a quick shot on goal.

• Attendance: 4,328.

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Three Mav strikes and you're out, Mercyhurst

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10470163

The University of Nebraska at Omaha scored early and often Saturday night against Mercyhurst, setting a school record in the process.

The Mavericks sprinted to a 4-0 lead and went on to post a 5-2 win in front of 4,373 at Qwest Center Omaha. UNO boosted its record to 4-0 heading into its Central Collegiate Hockey Association opener next weekend at Bowling Green.

• Attendance: 4,373.

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: League is a fine fit for Mavs

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10472306

When the University of Nebraska at Omaha opens its 2008-09 league schedule this weekend at Bowling Green, the puck will drop on the Mavericks' 10th season as a member of the CCHA.

It's impossible to know how UNO's only Division I program would have evolved had the Mavs ended up joining a different conference. But Anastos still doesn't hesitate in saying that the CCHA became an even stronger league once UNO joined the fold.

"I'm sure glad that it happened," Anastos said, "because UNO has been just a terrific addition to the CCHA in so many regards."

Most of the factors that excited Anastos about the Mavs before they joined the league, the commissioner said, still provide a boost to the CCHA today. Those key ingredients include the school's commitment to hockey, Omaha's reputation for supporting college athletics and the proximity to three highly successful United States Hockey League franchises in Omaha, Lincoln and Kearney.

[Brad]

UNO HOCKEY TV SCHEDULE
Sat. Nov. 8 CTV Nebraska-Omaha at Western Michigan 7:30 p.m. ET
Fri. Jan. 9 CBSC Northern Michigan at Nebraska-Omaha 8:00 p.m. ET
Fri. Jan. 23 CBSC Miami at Nebraska-Omaha 8:00 p.m. ET
Sat. Jan. 24 CBSC Miami at Nebraska-Omaha 8:00 p.m. ET
Sat. Feb. 14 FSN Nebraska-Omaha at Michigan 8:00 p.m. ET
Fri. Feb. 20 CBSC Notre Dame at Nebraska-Omaha 8:00 p.m. ET --- THE CIVIC AUDITORIUM ON TV!

Dates do not include the usual 1 or 2 games on NET.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Mavs hit ice for first conference test

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10474179

It's the question Mike Kemp has been asked too many times to count now during the past week:

Is Kemp's new-look UNO hockey team ready for the rigors of the CCHA schedule?

For the Mavs' 12th-year head coach, the answer is simple. The University of Nebraska at Omaha, Kemp said, has no choice but to be ready.

"You're in the plane, you're over the jump zone, and you've got the parachute on," joked Kemp, whose team kicks off CCHA play tonight and Saturday with a series at Bowling Green. "Whether you think you're ready or not, now you've got to jump."

At least Kemp likes the foundation the Mavs have established while opening 2008-09 with four straight nonconference victories. UNO goalies Jeremie Dupont and Jerad Kaufmann have each recorded a pair of wins, and the Mavs' defense appears to be vastly improved from a season ago.

In grabbing victories over American International and Union, and sweeping a series against Mercyhurst, UNO has outshot its opponents 151-85 — including 68-24 in the third period. The Mavs outscored those three teams 14-5, and Kemp is optimistic that his mix of veteran and rookie forwards can build on that success against conference opponents.

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Rookie propels Mavs to win over the Falcons

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10476241

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Before coming to UNO, John Kemp built up his hockey reputation as a standout set-up artist — a skater who always looked for a pass before a shot.

Right when the Mavericks desperately needed something to happen Saturday night, Kemp's new teammates couldn't have been more thrilled to see the rookie morph into a sniper.

With only 5:24 left in regulation, Kemp netted the first goal of his college career to break a 3-all tie between Bowling Green and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Joey Martin tacked on an empty-netter for his second score of the night, and the Mavs got to celebrate a hard-fought 5-3 road win and their first two CCHA points of the season.

UNO's 5-1-0 record through its first six games matches coach Mike Kemp's 2004-05 club for the best start in program history.

"That's a huge win for us, and I'm very proud of our team," said Mike Kemp, whose team dropped its conference opener 3-2 to the Falcons on Friday. "We went on the road and got the split, and these could be very important points for us as you look ahead to the rest of the season."

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Goalie tandem key in Mavericks' fast turnaround

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10476985

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Jerad Kaufmann isn't going to deny that he and fellow UNO goalie Jeremie Dupont at times were part of the problem last season.

But any suggestion that the Mavs' netminders couldn't be part of the solution, that made Kaufmann see red.

"It's been kind of an ongoing thing — people out there criticizing us and thinking we can't handle this," said Kaufmann, now a senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

"I think we're out this year to prove a point. We're sick and tired of getting things blamed on us, and we've been working so hard this year. We're encouraging each other, and we're just here to give our team a chance to win."

Kaufmann and Dupont have done that and more through UNO's first six games. The Mavs' 5-1-0 record matches coach Mike Kemp's 2004-05 squad for the best start in program history. And Kemp definitely liked what he saw out of Kaufmann and Dupont as UNO split its first CCHA series this weekend at Bowling Green.

"They've done a heck of a job so far, and it's going to be critical they keep it up if we want to move forward in our league," said Kemp, whose club plays another league road series next weekend at Western Michigan. "You're not going to have any easy nights in the CCHA. So we need to keep them on this high, and our team needs to keep doing a good job in front of them, too."

[Brad]

CCHA Players of the Week
November 3 - 10, 2008

http://ccha.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/sp ... 08aaa.html

Defenseman - Eddie Del Grosso, UNO

Jr., (Las Vegas, NV)
Del Grosso (0-4-4, +3) had two assists in each game and was a game star both nights as the Mavs split a pair of games on the road at Bowling Green.

[Brad]

What a great weekend and road-trip for UNO!!! UNO captured 4 of 4 points this weekend while catching 6 of 8 on the road-trip...

Back to Omaha on FRIDAY!!!

[Brad]

Hockey: Advantage in shootout helps Mavs in standings

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10482217

In what goes in the books as the first shootout in program history, the UNO hockey team got the two league points it wanted Friday night by outscoring Western Michigan 2-0 in the extra round. Officially, however, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Broncos skated to a 2-2 overtime tie for NCAA purposes.

The Mavs got goals from Tomas Klempa and Nick Fanto in regulation, and both scores were set up by Eddie DelGrosso. DelGrosso, this week's CCHA defensive player of the week, has recorded two assists in each of UNO's past three games.

But the Mavs' first shootout certainly will go down as a memorable one. First, Joey Martin beat Broncos goaltender Jerry Kuhn with a nifty move to his backhand. Eric Olimb misfired on UNO's second attempt, but that play was sandwiched between two gorgeous kick saves by the Mavs' Jeremie Dupont.

Dupont's second save, on Western's Greg Squires, set the table for Charleston. The standout senior made the bold decision to let loose a slap shot right as he moved between the circles, and Charleston's blast blurred past Kuhn before the goalie could even move.

In a final burst of excitement during the handshake, the teams got involved in a large mid-ice scrum — which appeared to be ignited when Western Michigan senior captain Chris Frank confronted Charleston. Both Frank and Charleston were slapped with five-minute hitting-after-the-whistle penalties, but the two skaters will be available for tonight's 6:35 series finale.

"I didn't start it," Charleston said with a chuckle. "I know I'm kind of a chirper, but I told Coach I didn't do anything. We want to be classy, but I guess they didn't like the slap shot, or something. I don't know."

No matter which side started it, however, the scuffle infuriated Mavs coach Mike Kemp. He raced out to center ice in his dress shoes, barked at his players and physically pulled a few of them back.

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: Offensive outburst propels Mavericks

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — You can say that the UNO hockey team has benefited from playing a schedule that hasn't exactly been filled with NCAA title contenders. You can argue that the Mavs still have a whole lot to prove against the rough and rugged CCHA.

And you'd be right on both accounts.

But this much is true, too: For a program that has a not-so-glorious history of getting off to slow starts, the University of Nebraska at Omaha has done just about everything it wanted to do during the first month of the 2008-09 season.

Tomas Klempa scored twice and Eddie DelGrosso had a goal and two assists Saturday night to lead UNO to an impressive 5-2 win over Western Michigan. Dan Charleston also scored and had an assist and Nick Fanto added a goal as the Mavericks improved to 6-1-1 — the best start in the 12-year history of UNO pucks.

The second period Saturday not only featured a four-goal scoring explosion, the teams' tempers boiled over for a stretch as well. After Kuhn froze a puck in front of traffic by his crease, UNO's Matt Ambroz wound up face down in Western's goal. The ensuing gathering of players ignited a heated exchange that featured punches thrown by Kuhn and at least two other Broncos.

When the dust settled, both Ambroz and Western's Chris Frank were ejected from the game. Both skaters will have to sit out their teams' next games.

The Mavs return home next weekend to host a two-game series against Ferris State at Qwest Center Omaha. But hockey-hungry UNO fans first can catch a replay of Saturday's game, which is slated to air at 11 a.m. today on the NHL network.

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: DelGrosso, Mavs charge early

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3 ... d=10483620

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The longer Eddie DelGrosso plays hockey, the more he's developed a defense-first mentality.

It's just hard to tell — when you look at the numbers after UNO's first eight hockey games — that DelGrosso is, in fact, putting a priority on being a shutdown defenseman.

As the University of Nebraska at Omaha has put together a program-best 6-1-1 start, the sizzling DelGrosso already has a goal and 10 assists for a team-best 11 points. That's enough to place him sixth on the CCHA's scoring charts, and DelGrosso is the only defenseman to rank among the league's top 11 point producers.

And here's a frightening thought to chew on when you look at DelGrosso's fast start: The Las Vegas native managed just one point through the Mavericks' first three contests.

"I think those first couple of games, I really just tried to concentrate on defense and made sure that part of my game was as sound as can be," said DelGrosso, who has a plus-4 rating so far in 2008-09.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior has an eye-popping 10 points in the Mavs' last five contests, including four straight multi-point games against the CCHA. He was named the league's defensive player of the week following his four-point weekend against Bowling Green, and he followed that effort Friday and Saturday by compiling a goal and four assists for the Mavs at Western Michigan.

That's nine points for DelGrosso in only two CCHA series.

[Brad]

UNO Hockey: No more slips on home ice for Mavs

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10486917

Better team defense. Stronger play from the goaltenders. More balanced scoring.

When it comes to the list of things the UNO hockey team wanted to improve upon from last season, the Mavs have nailed many of their major goals so far. But during the next two weekends, the University of Nebraska at Omaha hopes it can start tackling one of its most troubling issues from 2007-08:

Simply put, the Mavericks too often were dreadful on their own ice last season.

"That's a big, big, big concern," UNO coach Mike Kemp said. "College hockey is still a game where home ice matters, and you've got to get wins at home. Last year we were kind of 'close but no cigar' at home, and that's not good enough. So we really do need to make some strides in that area."

The Mavs went 8-9-4 in Omaha last season, and that included a costly 4-6-4 regular-season mark against the CCHA. Of the 28 available league points up for grabs on its home rink, UNO grabbed only 12.

"Coach Kemp has really been stressing that this year, that we've got to be a big threat in our own barn," senior forward Dan Charleston said. "It's our rink, it's our fans, so we've got to find a way to accumulate as many wins as we can here in Omaha."

UNO's next four games will be at Qwest Center Omaha, starting with contests tonight and Saturday against Ferris State. On Nov. 21 and 22, the Mavs host a series against No. 17 Michigan State.

Kemp is plenty encouraged by what they have accomplished so far this season: Their 6-1-1 record is the best start in the 12-year history of the program. UNO also is 2-1-1-1 against the CCHA, and already has six league points after back-to-back road series at Bowling Green and Western Michigan.

The Mavericks are off to a promising 4-0-0 start at home this season, too, but Kemp said it's clear that they will have to take their game to another level against Ferris State (4-3-3, 3-1-2-1).