Miami and Omaha have had completely contrasting starts to 2021-22.
The RedHawks won their season opener but are 0-4-1 since, but the Mavericks enter this weekend riding a seven-game winning streak following a Game 1 loss.
This is the first weekend of NCHC play. UNO took fourth in the league last season while Miami finished last in the conference in 2020-21.
A look at this weekend’s matchup:
WHO: Miami RedHawks (1-4-1) at No. 9 Omaha Mavericks (7-1).
WHERE: Baxter Arena (7,500), Omaha, Neb.
WHEN: Both nights — 7:07 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Miami leads, 26-20-7.
TV: None.
STREAMING: Both nights — NCHC.tv ($).
MIAMI RADIO: Friday — WKBV-AM (1490), Richmond, Ind.; Saturday — WMOH-AM (1450), Hamilton, Ohio.
OMAHA RADIO: Both nights — KZOT-AM (1180).
NOTES: Omaha has not only won seven of its first eight games, it has has dominated its early opponents.
The Mavericks are outscoring foes, 36-12, with five of their seven victories coming by three or more goals.
Taylor Ward leads all of college hockey with 10 goals, and he is tied for second in the Division I points race with 16.
Linemates Chayse Primeau and Tyler Weiss along with Brannon McManus are tied for second on the team with nine points apiece
Captain Kevin Conley and Jack Randl have chipped in five points each to key the forward corps, and Matt Miller has scored four goals, although he did not dress for Omaha’s last contest.
Brandon Scanlin leads all defensemen with nine points (1-8-9), and Kirby Proctor has scored twice and notched three assists.
Nate Knoepke, Victor Mancini, Jake Harrison and Davis Pennington have also helped anchor the Omaha blue line.
In net, Isaiah Saville is off to a 6-1 start with a 1.55 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. Backup Austin Roden stopped 16 of 17 shots to win his only outing this season.
Omaha has been exceptional on special teams, ranking eighth in the NCAA in power play percentage (29.2) and fourth on the penalty kill (95.2 percent) among teams that have played more than two games.
Despite its titanic struggles overall in recent years, Miami has still had plenty of success against the Mavericks. The RedHawks are 5-1-1 vs. Omaha in their last seven meetings including three shutouts in their last four.
Ryan Savage has had the most success against the Mavericks in recent seasons, as he picked up six of his 14 points in 2019-20 vs. Omaha.
As a freshman, Miami goalie Ludvig Persson stopped 57 of 59 shots in two games against the Mavericks in the Bubble.
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