UNO Hockey Returns Home For Eight Straight Games

After spending most of the last two months on the road (10 out of 12 games on the road), UNO hockey returns to Omaha for eight straight games over the holidays.  This weekend, it's sixth place St. Cloud State in for games at 7:37 pm tonight and 8:07 pm Saturday night.  UNO has been fairly successful on the road until the last couple of weekends.  Thanksgiving weekend, UNO won an overtime shootout on Friday, but lost 3-2 on Saturday night at #1 North Dakota.  Last weekend, UNO stunk it up on Friday night, losing 8-2 in a game televised on Fox College Sports, only to rebound strong with a 5-2 victory over #6 Miami.

Hockey pollsters have the Mavs ranked twelfth in the country.  The early simulations of the Pairwise rankings have UNO third in the nation, trailing only Mankato and Minnesota-Duluth.  Very impressive considering this is a team that arguably is in a rebuilding season with 11 freshman, 7 sophomores, 3 juniors, and 5 seniors.  And a completely different vibe after getting shut out in an exhibition game against a Canadian team.

With a run of home games, this should be an opportunity for UNO to make a move in the conference standings. A sweep this weekend against St. Cloud moves UNO within one point of conference leaders Miami and Minnesota-Duluth, who aren't playing conference games this weekend.  I suspect North Dakota will be in first place by Sunday, though.